Destiny
by PSUbrat
Summary: Book Three of the Reset Series. ***COMPLETED*** Can the Scoobies destroy the new Big Bad before he destroys them? Sequel to New Beginnings. PLEASE R&R! Thanks!
1. Resouled

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** William visits Clem while the Master's whereabouts are revealed  
**Timeframe:** A few days after the end of New Beginnings _

  
- 1 -  
Resouled

William hesitantly knocked on the crypt door. He didn't know why he was knocking since this was his home yet. But on the other hand, it didn't feel like his home. His home was a nice comfy apartment, in a nice neighborhood far away from a cemetery. It had only been a few months since he had become human again but he was amazed at how quickly he had adapted to being one. He no longer had the desire for his former demon trappings. Including his duster. The Bit had told him that she and Buffy had kept it for when he returned and asked if he wanted it back. He hadn't thought about it but told her he'd let her know. She had eyed him questioningly and then shrugged as if to say, "suit yourself." He just didn't want to explain to her why he didn't really want it back. Returning his thoughts to the present, he waited a few more moments and then knocked again, this time more firmly. Finally he heard the door creak. One eye peered uneasily out from the crack.

"No one here but us dead people," Clem said in a false high pitch.

"Open the door Clem," William stated moving into Clem's line of vision.

At the sight of the human in front of him, Clem panicked and closed the door. He didn't know who the man was or why he wanted to come into Spike's crypt. He promised his friend he wouldn't let anyone in and that meant human and demons alike. And that's what he was sticking to.

"Clem, you stupid git," William shouted as he pounded on the door once again, "Open the bleedin' door!"

"Spike," Clem asked cautiously, "Is that you?" It sounded like his friend but it did not look like his friend. He wasn't going to be fooled.

"It's me," William growled in frustration. "Now open the bloody door or I'm gonna knock it down and string you up by your"

With that outburst, Clem opened the door and threw his arms around his friend. "Spike! It's about time you got back man. I've been worried sick about you. Where have you been?"

* * *

"Don't drop your shoulder so much Dawn," Buffy chastised her sister as the two took a break from their workout.

"I'm trying not to but these are kinda hard moves," Dawn complained, "Are you sure I'm gonna need to know this stuff?"

"Quite certain Dawn," Giles stated. He had stayed in Sunnydale longer than he had planned due to Buffy and William's shared dream foretelling the rise of the Master. Things had been quiet despite the dream and he was beginning to suspect that perhaps the dream was a result of Buffy's subconscious trying to get her to come to terms with her feelings for William. Then again, that didn't explain why both of them had had the same dream. He glanced over at his slayer and noticed that she had that solemn look on her face again.

"Dawn, why don't you call it a day and go home," Giles suggested. "I'm sure you're going to need plenty of rest for tomorrow what with it being the start of the new school year."

Dawn watched as a grin crept across Giles' face. He really loved education. Gross. But she was happy that he had intervened in the training session, otherwise Buffy would have worked her to death. Ever since the whole William/Cecily thing, Buffy had been a total slave driver. Buffy didn't socialize much since then and she stayed in her room a lot. The only time she really went out was to come here to train or to go out patrolling. It was nerve wracking. Dawn had decided that it was a good thing school was starting up again. It would give her a chance to get away from her sister for eight hours a day.

"And Dawn," Buffy called as her sister was walking towards the shower, "don't forget to put out the garbage before you go to bed."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

After Dawn had left the room, Giles walked over to Buffy to make sure she was holding up all right. He cleared his throat trying to get her attention since she had gone back to punching the bag again. When that didn't get a response, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, startling her out of her reverie.

"Buffy, are you alright?"

"Sure Giles," she said with a frown, "You just startled me a little. I was concentrating on my moves"

"That's not what I meant."

"I'm great. Peachy. Couldn't be better."

Giles sighed and removed his hand from her shoulder. Ever since the day in the shop when William and Cecily reunited, Buffy had closed herself off from the world. "Are you getting enough rest?"

"Yeah Giles. Plenty of sleep for the slayer," she replied taking a sip of water from the bottle she had just picked up off the floor.

"I think we should talk," Giles started, "about your feelings for"

"Nothing to talk about. I'm so over it." She gave him a smile that tried to say she was fine. The smile felt fake to her so she could just imagine what it looked like to Giles. No matter. She was so not going to talk about this with him. Besides, as she had said, there was nothing to talk about. William was dating Cecily and that was that. Can't stand in the way of a century old love, right?

* * *

"I was in Africa," William stated indifferently, "and then England. Now I'm here."

"Dude, you look strange and," Clem said as he started sniffing William, "you smell_human_!"

"That's because I am a human," William said flicking his friend's forehead.

"Ouch! Spike! What happened," Clem demanded with a tone of concern as he rubbed his head.

"Went to Africa a vampire and came back human. So _you_ tell _me_ what happened."

"That wasn't the plan. I mean, I don't remember that being the plan. I thought you were just going for a soul so that Buffy would love you."

William flopped down on the loveseat and looked around the crypt. Clem had tidied the place up real nice while he had been gone. "A soul was the plan. But seems to be I already had one."

"What? Are you sure? How come I never smelled one on you then?"

"Not sure. Watcher's still looking into it."

Clem took a few moments to let things sink in. Finally he asked, "Why are you dressed like that?"

William laughed. "What? This old thing," he asked as he gestured at his khaki dockers and navy blue polo shirt, "I've had 'em forever, just never wore 'em."

"Uh huh. This coming from the one color wardrobe guy."

William snorted. He decided it was time to tell his friend about what he did for a living. "I'm a watcher now."

Clem's eyes widened. "You're a watcher? Get out! Is that why you were in England?"

"Yeah. Went there to find Giles and wound up becoming like him. I'm Buffy's watcher now cause he's going back to England soon. Soon as we suss out this whole dream thing."

"Huh," Clem asked his eyes widening again. Had he just heard right?

* * *

The Master paced back and forth in the cave that had become his prison. Anger built more and more with each passing step. How dare they do this? How dare they trick him like this? They had promised him new life and he had believed them. But now he was trapped like a caged animal. He lifted his hand and felt the invisible field that covered the opening of the cave. It was very similar to the one that had trapped him below Sunnydale for all those years prior to his death. He had noticed that they themselves could come and go as they pleased but he was stuck here. Which could only mean one thing, the field was magic.

He stopped pacing when he saw Gavin's car come to a halt a few yards from his cell. He sneered and growled. He hated all of the humans who had done this to him but he held Gavin personally responsible for the imprisonment. Eventually he was going to get out of this cave and when he did, there was going to be hell to pay and he would start with Wolfram and Hart.

Gavin smiled as he approached the cave opening. "How are we doing today, Mr. Nest?"

"We? There is no we. There is just me. And I am extremely unhappy. How dare you continue to hold me like this?"

"Mr. Nest," Gavin grinned, "as I said before, this is just a temporary situation until you have completely re-acclimated to your new life. I assure you, you will be released once we are satisfied that you are not a threat to anyone other than the Slayer."

"Yes, so you keep saying. But I have no proof of this, just your word. And right now, you're word doesn't mean a lot to me. So forgive me for not trusting you."

Gavin nodded his head and smiled. "Understandable that you feel that way Mr. Nest. However, as a gesture of good will, I've brought you a little something." He waved his hand and two men got out of the car. They opened the trunk and dragged out a young woman who was bound by ropes and gagged. She was kicking and squirming, trying to get out of their grip.

He glanced over at the Master to assess his reaction. The Master stood in awe of the offering and did not say a word.

"I know that you have a penchant for blondes," Gavin cooed, "so we made sure that this one was of the same hair color and build as the Slayer. Do you approve?"

He hadn't eaten in a long while and he could smell the fear coming off the girl in waves. His mouth began to water and the thrill of killing washed over him. He nodded at Gavin, his gaze never leaving the girl. "I like to play with my dinner a bit before I eat," he said, "so please unbind her before you give her to me."

"As you wish," Gavin said with a bow.

The two thugs removed the ropes and the gag. She began screaming but the second man covered her mouth as they pushed her through the mouth of the cave and into the waiting arms of the Master.

* * *

Clem looked at his hands, studying his nails. This had been a lot for him to digest. Spike was human now. And he was a watcher. Not just any watcher though, Buffy's watcher. He processed the thought a little longer and smiled. In a round about way, Spike had gotten everything he had ever wanted. Buffy would love him for sure now. But he also noticed that his friend didn't look at all happy. "Hey Spike?"

"Yeah," William asked closing his eyes and leaning his head against the back of the loveseat. Even if he felt out of place in the crypt, the loveseat was comforting to him. It made him forget his new life for a while. It wasn't that he didn't like his new life, because he did. It's just that some days, it was a little overwhelming.

"Aren't you happy about being human? I mean, isn't this a good thing for you and Buffy?"

William didn't bother opening his eyes. "Things have changed mate," he replied, "Buffy and I were never meant to be. It could never work out."

Clem's mouth dropped open. Thank goodness for the excess skin, otherwise he was afraid he would have had to pick his jaw up off the floor. "What do you mean things have changed," he demanded, "wasn't the whole point of you leaving so that you could get Buffy back? Now you're her watcher. This is too confusing."

"It doesn't matter much now does it? Besides, I'm seeing someone else right now." He noticed Clem's curious expression and added, "Cecily. I'm seeing Cecily. Can you believe it?"

"Cecily? Are you serious?" He remembered the night that Spike had told him the story of how he had become a vampire. And how if it hadn't been for Cecily rebuffing his advances, his life might have turned out differently. Of course, he had pointed out that if it hadn't been for Cecily, Spike would have never met Buffy.

"Yeah. Turns out she was that vengeance demon Halteck or something like that. Said she always wanted to marry me just her father didn't approve is all. That's why she became a vengeance demon." At this point he moved up to the edge of the loveseat and put his head in his hands. "After all these years Clem, I become human, she becomes human and we're thrown together. Maybe Buffy was just the catalyst for bringing us together."

Clem studied his friend closely. To him it sounded like Spike was trying to convince himself that dating Cecily was the right thing to do and that it was fate that had brought them together. He shook his head. He didn't believe for a minute that Spike still wasn't pining away for his beloved Buffy. "Spike, I don't believe in destiny. I believe destiny is what you make it to be. And if you want my opinion" Spike nodded, "then I think you're 'destined' to be with Buffy."

  



	2. Blows

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Buffy and William face a group of vampires which leads to Buffy discovering one of William's little secrets  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Resouled" _

  
- 2 -  
Blows

Buffy slowly walked home. She had left the Magic Box early since William hadn't been around to tell her otherwise. Even though Cecily had been at the shop, Buffy was sure that William's absence had something to do with the ex-demon. He was probably out buying her flowers or cooking her dinner. She was angry and jealous. Not a good combination in a slayer. She decided to swing by the cemetery on her way home, hoping to find some vampires to take out her aggressions on.

Her feet kept moving absently as she reached out with her senses, searching for anything that she might be able to have a good fight with. She found nothing. Her half-hearted patrol continued as her feet continued moving. Suddenly, as if an invisible hand was guiding her, she found herself in front of _the_ crypt. She sighed and leaned up against the side of the crypt like she had done the night that she had found out that Spike had left. Gazing up at the stars she thought about how different things were now that he was back. 

She closed her eyes and thought back to the first night she had met Spike. She had been struck by how handsome he was, even then she had been attracted to him and had denied it. Had she loved him even then? Or had she truly fallen in love with him when Willow's spell had gone all wonky? She wasn't sure. Did it matter anymore? It mattered to her. And what did matter was the fact that she was in love with him now and now she couldn't tell him.

"You've got to stop feeling sorry for yourself Buffy," she said aloud to the air around her. She hung her head and closed her eyes again. The image of Spike covered in bruises from head to toe came rushing to her mind. She had pretended to be the Buffy-bot that day, to make sure that he hadn't told Glory about Dawn. And she had been so moved by his devotion to keep her sister safe that she had felt compelled to kiss him. Maybe it was then that she had seen him differently. Yes, the two of them had started their dance trying to kill each other. But didn't it make sense that out of that hatred that love was sparked? Wasn't it true that there was a really fine line between love and hate? She thought she had read that somewhere. Maybe Cosmo.

As she continued to stand there lost in her own world, she could hear voices coming from within the crypt. She held her breath and tried to make out what was being said but it was inaudible. Slowly she moved along the crypt until she was close to the front door.

* * *

William stood up abruptly and glared at Clem. He didn't need to hear what this demon thought about his love life, even though he had asked. Things were just too complicated. There was no way he could possibly explain the way he felt right now. He was torn and confused and that wasn't even counting how he felt about the two women in his life. Seeing Cecily again like that had blown him away. How could he not give things a chance with the woman whom he had loved prior to his death? And to find out that she had always loved himhe'd have to be a fool not to explore what was there, even now, after all of this time.

"Spike," Clem said trying to get his friend's attention again, "You love Buffy more than your own life and you proved that by going to Africa to get a soul. So don't even tell me that you're just going to give up on a chance with her. Just because you're human again doesn't mean you have to pick up where you left off a century ago."

"You have no idea what you're talking about Clem," William growled, "So shut your gob!"

Clem looked at William with pity in his eyes. The once mighty master vampire was now nothing but a confused human. Slowly, and in a low voice, Clem stated, "Man. I hope this was all worth it to you."

William made his way to the door and opened it. "Just so you know," he said quietly with his back still to Clem, "You can have the crypt. Thanks for taking care of it. As for what we were just talking about, I'm Buffy's watcher. She's my Slayer. There will never be any type romantic relationship between us. Ever."

Clem watched his friend leave and close the door. He wasn't all that sure that he liked the new Spike.

* * *

Buffy had heard him open the door so she quickly wiped her eyes and took off in the opposite direction. But not before hearing that there would never be anything between them. The last thing she wanted to do now was to talk to William. She barely spoke to him now as it was. She wasn't sure if he had noticed her change in behavior towards him though. But Giles had noticed it, so she was sure the others had as well. On the other hand, she believed that William was too caught up in his relationship with Cecily to notice much of anything else at the moment. The thought depressed her even more. As she was about to double back to go home, she was attacked from behind.

Suddenly Buffy found herself surrounded by five vampires as she picked herself up off the ground. "Oh! A party! Am I the guest of honor," she asked as she whipped a stake out of her coat pocket and dusted the closest vamp before the others knew what had hit them. That left her with four.

A large vampire rushed at her. She thought she recognized him as one of the football players she graduated high school with. At least he had survived graduation, which was more than she could say for some of her other classmates. She let him take her down and then used his momentum to do a back roll. He ended up on his back and she straddled him. With one quick motion the stake went through his heart and he dusted beneath her.

She didn't have time to assess the situation after the second dusting because a fist met with her cheek. She fell to the ground somewhat dazed. She opened her eyes and saw the third vamp standing over her with an axe. Why did they always have to bring axes? As the axe swung down towards her body she rolled to her left and took down a fourth vampire with her feet. The third vamp was still trying to get his axe out of the ground as she got up on her feet. Before she could dust another one, the fifth vampire who had been standing back taking everything in, grabbed her from behind and put her in a strong hold.

* * *

William stopped walking when he thought he heard a scuffle coming from behind him. He strained his ears to listen but all he heard at first was the thumping of his own heart. "Bloody hell," he growled, "this is one of those times I wish I was still dead." Just as he was about to give up and continue walking home, he heard Buffy groan. His blood ran cold and adrenaline started pumping through his veins. His heart began to pound as he started running towards the sounds. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

When he came to the clearing where the fighting was taking place, he was shocked to see Buffy being held from behind by one vampire while she was kicking a second. His heart stopped when he saw yet a third vampire free his axe from the ground. Assessing the situation, he looked around for something to use as a stake. If he could just take out the vamp with the axe, Buffy would be able to take care of the other two on her own. Or maybe not. Looking down, he found her stake on the ground a few feet in front of him. He'd have to use it and then throw it to her after he was finished with Axe Boy.

He bent down and scooped up the stake as he ran forward yelling. He caused just enough of a distraction that Buffy was able to use it to break free from her captor. He reached his target in a matter of moments but Axe Boy was ready. The two squared off and slowly circled one another.

"Come on watcher," Axe Boy goaded, "why don't you show me what'cha got."

William stopped the dance. He looked at Axe Boy and shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. But remember. You asked for it." He waved for Axe Boy to bring on his best. This angered the axe-wheeling vampire who then tried to swing his weapon at William but missed. William quickly kicked the axe out of the vamp's hands. For every kick or punch Axe Boy threw at William, William blocked it with ease.

* * *

While her watcher was busy with Axe Boy, Buffy decided to get serious with the two that were pestering her. She looked around for her stake while avoiding fists and legs. That's when she saw that William had Mr. Pointy. Great. Now she needed another weapon. As she went down to do a sweeping kick to knock vamp four off his feet, she saw the axe. In one quick motion she grabbed the axe and cut off vamp number four's head. She turned her thoughts to her last attacker when she heard William howl out in pain.

"Bloody hell," William cried as Axe Boy knocked him on his back. His head grazed the bottom of a gravestone when he went down. "That's gonna leave a mark," William growled as he punched Axe Boy in the head. The demon staggered back in obvious pain. "Okay. That's it. I'm done playing." He reached for the stake and realized that he had dropped it in the last fall. Bloody brilliant.

"Spike," Buffy yelled out in concern, "be careful!"

"Don't worry 'bout me luv. I can take care of myself," he assured her. Then he saw another vampire come up behind her, "Look out behind you," he shouted to her as he continued his fight with Axe Boy.

Buffy spun around in time to avoid the vampire's kick. She gripped the axe tightly as she used a series of back kicks to knock her assailant to the ground. She put her foot down on the demon's chest. He struggled hard to get back up to continue the fight but she wouldn't let him. "Sorry," she said with a smile and a shrug, "you're not going anywhere. Well, except maybe to hell." She swung the axe handily and dusted him. She had dusted all but one and William was busy playing with that one. "Want some help," she asked as she watched William take a blow to the chest.

"No pet. I've got it under control. Just waiting for you to throw me a stake is all."

She walked over and picked up Mr. Pointy and threw it to him. She watched in awe as William landed a back kick to the last vampire's chest sending the demon flying into a headstone several yards away. She couldn't believe her eyes. How could a human be that strong? Only Slayers and vampires could do something like that.

Seizing the opportunity, William walked over to the dazed vampire and staked him immediately. "Right then. I think that's all of them." He looked over at Buffy who was staring hard at him. "What?"

"How did you do that," she demanded.

"Do what," he asked confused.

"Kick that vampire like he was a soccer ball. For not being a demon anymore you certainly do have demon type strength."

He shrugged and looked at her. "Dunno. Got lucky I guess."

"I thought you said you were human," she replied in an irritated tone.

"I _am_ human, pet," he shot back.

"Really? Then care to explain the foot action?"

"Not particularly."

She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "How am I supposed to trust you as my watcher if you don't tell me the truth," she demanded. 

"And how am I supposed trust my slayer if she doesn't even give me the time of day?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Oh Buffy, come off it," he huffed, "You don't think I haven't noticed how you've been avoiding me like the plague?"

She shrugged her shoulders and tried to avoid his glare. She just couldn't look into those piercing blue eyes of his. "I haven't been avoiding you. I've been busy. Training Dawn. And stuff."

He snorted. "Right. So I'm making this all up in my mind am I?"

"Yep. In your warped little mind." She turned and started walking towards her house.

He grabbed her upper arm and spun her around to look him in the face. "I think we both know each other better than that, pet. So why don't we just stop this nonsense right now and get to the point. You can't stand the thought of me with someone else."

"What," she yelled in shock. "You're crazy."

"Am I," he growled, "You don't want me but you don't want anyone else to want me either. Isn't that right?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Spike. You're insane. We've been over a long time and I'm so over you. Not that I was ever interested in you in the first place," she back peddled.

"Right. So me dating Cecily has no effect on you whatsoever," he asked hoping that she would give him a straight answer.

"None. I'm effect free thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me I need to get home. Tomorrow is Dawn's first day at school and I want to make sure she gets off okay."

"You're lying," he said accusingly. He was baiting her. He knew that. He was buying time. He didn't want to leave her yet.

She wrenched free of his grip and frowned at him. "Why would I lie about Dawn going to school?"

"Not that. The other thing."

Her eyes narrowed and the anger in her started to boil over. "What do you want me to say Spike," she yelled, "huh? Do you want me to say that I've been lost without you? Oh! Or maybe I should just declare my undying love for you and get it out in the open finally? Is that what you want? Well I'm sorry. Neither of those is true!" She hoped that he couldn't see through her lies.

He stared at her trying to search her eyes. Obviously he wasn't going to get a straight answer from her this evening. He sighed. "Fine then pet. Go home and take care of the Bit. I'm going home myself."

"Fine," she huffed and stalked off towards Revello Drive not once turning around to see if he was watching her.

William watched her walk away. He slowly shook his head and turned to make his way to his own home. Tonight was going to be another long night with his journal.

  



	3. The Struggle Within

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning: **These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset. Some dialogue was borrowed from "Seeing Red" written by Steven DeKnight the bastard. Oops! Did I say that out loud? EG  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** William struggles with his new life while Giles is summoned back to England  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Blows" _

  
- 3 -  
The Struggle Within

William sighed heavily as he searched his pockets for his keys. Finally finding them, he unlocked the door and stepped into his darkened living room. The moonlight filled a corner of the room where he kept several reminders of what he once was, a monster. A thing. Slowly he closed the door. Another night at home alone. Another night alone with his thoughts and fears. He leaned his back against the door and flipped on the light. The room looked even lonelier now that everything was illuminated. He closed his eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. It was still something he wasn't quite used to hearing, or feeling.

Straightening up, he walked over to his recliner and sat down. The fight with the vampires had been physically exhausting, but the fight with Buffy had been emotionally draining. He knew that he would have to break through several barriers with her because of their past, but he was hoping that there would be more give and take on her part. At first she had seemed almost happy to see him, relieved mostly. But now, now she was distant and he wasn't sure why. Was it because of their violent past together, or was it because he was seeing Cecily? The thought that maybe Buffy loved him had never crossed his mind. He was sure that anything that was between them, or could have been between them, died that night in the bathroom. That was the night that Spike died, as well.

Everyone wanted to call him Spike, but as far as he was concerned Spike was dead and buried. That name embodied everything he was as a monster, and he was no longer a monster. He was a man, and as a man he wanted to be called by the name his mother had given him. Like he had told the Bit, it would just take some time for everyone to get used to William. "Bloody hell," he said to the room, "who are you trying to kid? You'll always be Spike to these people." It was nights like these that made him yearn to be a vampire again.

* * *

Steven stood in the shadows outside of the Summers' home. He had been about to knock on the door to see Dawn when Buffy came home. It was early, even for her, and she looked extremely upset. _What a pity_. He hoped she was hurting. He felt nothing but loathing for the young woman. It was soon time to make his move. Ever since he had heard Fred and Gunn talking about her, he knew that he had to punish her. He had to strike at the very heart of his demon father's family. His plan was to start turning Dawn against her. He knew that Dawn was very important to her sister, but he also knew from talking to the girl that things hadn't always been so great between the two. Then, after hurting her through Dawn, he would go in for the kill, literally. And he would savor every moment of her pain.

The smile on his face faded as he began to think about how this outcome would affect Dawn. At first he was sure she'd be glad to be rid of her sister, but then reality would settle in and the girl would mourn. Would she hate him? Or would she turn to him in her time of need? He really cared for Dawn. More than he had ever intended. She didn't make him feel like such an outcast. One night while they had been out together, they had been talking about his life in Los Angeles. They had been holding hands and walking when all of a sudden the air began to shimmer and hum. At first he had been concerned that something evil was about to take place, but he had noticed that Dawn wasn't troubled at all. It struck him as odd, until she told him what was happening. She had inadvertently opened a portal.

The two had stood in awe as the portal opened on the Hyperion Hotel. He heard Fred talking excitedly to someone on the phone. Her back was to the opening.

"Is this where you lived," Dawn had asked curiously and in a hushed tone.

"It is where my biological father lived," he had said with disdain.

"I didn't know you were adopted."

"You could say that. Perhaps someday I will tell you all about my life, but not now." He had turned to look at Dawn at this point, to reassure her that he would eventually tell her everything. That's when things had begun to go very wrong. They hadn't been paying attention to the other side of the portal. He should have known that if they could see that side then those in the Hyperion Hotel could see them.

"Connor," Gunn had yelled, "Is that you?"

At the sound of his given name, Steven had whipped his head around to the voice that was calling him. He had locked eyes with Gunn who was now directly in front of the portal.

"Connor," Gunn had demanded, "Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you! And what the heck is this big hole?" He had been about to walk through the hole when Fred grabbed him and pulled him back.

"Gunn, no," Fred had cried. "You have no idea where this thing goes, if it goes anywhere, or if it's safe."

Steven smirked at the couple in the hotel as they looked at him in horror. He grabbed Dawn's hand and began to run. As soon as Dawn's attention was focused on their flight, the portal snapped shut with a crackling pop. After they had reached a safe distance, Steven slowed the pace.

"Steven, who's Connor, and who were those people?" Dawn had asked him.

He had shrugged his shoulders and told her he didn't know. That neither person had looked familiar to him. She had believed him, and so for the rest of their evening, Dawn had filled him in on who she was and what she could do. That was the night that he began to feel like Dawn was his kindred spirit.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Steven contemplated knocking on the door anyway to see Dawn. It wasn't that he _wanted_ to see her; it was that he _needed_ to see her. He felt connected to her now. As he started to make his way to the front door a voice from behind froze him in his tracks.

"Connor," the man stated. "I think we need to talk."

* * *

"Hi William," the female voice on the message crooned, "This is Cecily. I just wanted to call to see how your day was. Not that I didn't spend most of the day with you or anything. Anywho, hope you're having a nice evening, and I'll see you tomorrow morning at the shop. Goodnight."

"End of messages," the machine stated in a digital monotone.

William leaned against the kitchen counter as he listened to Cecily's message. It was nice to hear a friendly voice in the midst of all his negative thoughts. The soft light from the kitchen reflected off of his whiskey glass. He picked up the glass and looked at the amber colored liquid. He tilted his head and arched an eyebrow. Maybe the alcohol could tell him what to make of the thoughts that filled his head. Probably not. Just as well. Time to get out the journal and start writing.

He walked back into the living room and turned on the desk lamp. He realized his desk was overly cluttered when he had tried to find a space to set down his glass. After clearing a few of the papers, he sat down and took out his journal. It seemed like he had been doing this every night since he arrived at Giles' place in England. He supposed it was therapeutic, but it just wasn't the same as sharing his feelings with an actual person. At first he thought that Cecily would understand his internal sufferings, but she was caught up in her own turmoil. He was never able to get in a word edgewise during her rant sessions. She was a sweet woman, at times. But he could also understand why D'Hoffryn had chosen her to be a vengeance demon.

The little leather bound book that Giles had bought him looked worn and dog-eared. Every time something bothered him, he wrote it down. And that wasn't including the watcher journal that he had started to keep. As he started to jot down his thoughts on paper, the phone rang. It was Giles.

"William, I've been called back to England. And I need to leave straight away," Giles said sounding like he was out of breath.

"What's it all about watcher?" William asked, as he listened to the sounds of Giles throwing things in suitcases.

"One of the paragraphs they've been trying to translate. Has something to do with Buffy, and quite possibly her death at the hands of 'one who had been cursed'. Perhaps it could be referring to the Master."

William drew in a sharp breath. "Perhaps? You need to do better than that watcher!" He started to feel the panic rise within him. This couldn't be right.

"Please try to remain calm William," Giles stated as he noticed the edge in William's voice.

"Don't tell me to calm down," William growled, "Not when it comes to Buffy!"

"William. Listen to me. You need to keep an eye on Buffy. The last thing she needs is for you to show your fear. Just keep this in the back of your mind. Keep your eyes and ears open. Understand?"  


"Yes."

"Splendid. I'm on the next flight out which leaves in an hour. Just remember, not every prophecy that we receive is correct."

"You're right," he said exhaling audibly. "It's just that"

"I know. I'll call you as soon as I know anything. Please let everyone know that I had to leave. I don't have time to call. Talk to you later."

William stared at the phone as he slowly hung up the receiver. As if in a trance he looked up Buffy's home number and started punching the buttons on the phone. This couldn't be happening.

* * *

Buffy sat on Dawn's bed, as the teen rummaged through her closet for something suitable to wear for the first day of school. She had tried on seven different outfits and discarded them for seven different reasons that Buffy could only roll her eyes at. Had she been like this at Dawn's age? She decided that she probably had been. It hadn't been that long ago that Willow and Xander had come over to help her pick out an outfit for her date with Owen. She smiled to herself as the memory played back in her mind. The smile faded from her face when she realized that it _had_ been a long time ago. Had it really been almost seven years?

"Buffy," Dawn pleaded with doe eyes, "Please, please, please, let me wear your pink sweater."

Buffy rolled her eyes once again. As much as she loved that pink sweater, there was no way she was going to be able to say no to her sister. "Okay," she said feigning annoyance. "You can borrow it. Just don't get anything on it!"

"Thank you! Thank you," the teen declared, as she bounced from her room to Buffy's to retrieve said sweater.

Buffy followed Dawn into her room to make sure that the sweater was the only thing that she borrowed. The phone began to ring and the two girls raced for it. Buffy won and picked it up as her sister tried to take it from her.

"Hi Buffy!"

"Willow," Buffy cried in pleasant surprise. "How are you?"

Dawn's face fell when she realized the call wasn't for her.

"I'm good. How have you been?"

"Okay. Things have been a bit weird lately." She watched as Dawn took the sweater and left the room. "Dawn," she called after her, "make sure you get to bed soon!" She then turned her attention back to her best friend, "Sorry about that, Will."

"No problem. Actually, I'm the one that's sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Spike. I wanted to, but Giles said we couldn't. Some kind of big secret or something. How's Xander taking Spike's return?"

"It's okay, Will. I miss you too much to be mad at you right now. Xander didn't take it too well at first, but I'm hoping that they can at least get along."

Willow snorted and Tara giggled at the thought of Xander and Spike being chummy.

"Hey! It's the Hellmouth. It could happen! I can dream, can't I? Which reminds me, once we get off this phone it's beddy bye time for the Buffster. I'm worn out."

"Lots of big beasties on patrol?" Willow asked as Tara tried to listen in.

"A handful of vampires. Nothing big."

"Then what's wrong?" She and Tara both sensed that something was bothering Buffy.

"Oh, William and I had a little conversation tonight. I had almost forgotten how much he could get under my skin."

"Will" Willow asked confused at first. Then she realized who Buffy was referring to. "Oh! You mean Spike. Forgot that he's William now. So, what did you two talk about, or should I say, not talk about?"

"What do you mean?" Buffy stuttered.

"Well, I just figured you two would be making with the smoochies by now. Well maybe not with the smoochies, but at least being all cuddley wuddley."

Buffy was stunned. What was it with everyone? Didn't they understand that her and Spike would never work out. Were her and Spike the only two people who realized that? "Willow nothing is going on between us. William is my watcher. Period. Besides, he's dating Cecily."

"Oh. Yeah. Dawn wrote Tara about that. Are you upset? Cause if you are, it's okay to be. I mean he went to Africa to get a soul for you and all, so it's understandable if you're upset that he picked Cecily over you."

Buffy sank onto her bed. She choked back a few tears before continuing. "Nah. I'm fine."

"Buffy, it's me here. You never were a good liar." Besides, she could hear Buffy's voice wavering.

She sighed as she switched the phone from one ear to the other. "You're right, Will. It's just that I finally realized that I was in love with Spike before he became human and now"

"You're in love with Spike?" Willow gasped.

"Yeah," she said hesitantly realizing that she had finally said it to someone other than Giles. "But it doesn't matter anymore."

* * *

"Get off the bleeding phone," William demanded as he shook the receiver. He had been trying to get a hold of Buffy for over a half hour now. "Bloody women." It was almost midnight so why was the phone busy? He was sure Dawn was in bed, unless she was on the phone with that Steven bloke. He'd have to speak to that git about his phone manners and calling hours, especially on school nights. There was just something about that boy that didn't sit right with him. Steven reminded him of someone he knew but William just couldn't place his finger on it.

He was still trying to get over the fact that his Niblet was dating now. It seemed like it was just yesterday that he was protecting her from the world while Buffy was gone. Buffy. He was amazed at how all of his thoughts brought him back to one person. It was almost a year now since Red had brought her back from the dead. He closed his eyes and remembered the night she had returned to him, to them. He remembered every smell and every detail, the way her hair shone as she walked down the stairs, the way her hands felt when he held them in his. When he had realized that it wasn't the robot, he had wanted to take her in his arms and cradle her against his chest, stroking her long, blonde hair. She had looked so beautiful. At that moment in time he had thanked whatever god or gods had brought her back to him.

Then he remembered the look in _her_ eyes when she had seen him again for the first time sincewell, since he had left. He was sure that it had been the same look he had given her that night. It had been there for only a second, but he was sure he had seen it. Although, now, he was beginning to think his mind had only wished it to be there. Her words from the night he left played over and over in his mind, "I'm not saying I don't have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to become thatAsk me again why I could never love you." The guilt washed through him. She had forgiven him, but he hadn't forgiven himself. He didn't think he ever would. The struggle within him was almost too much for him to bear. And it wasn't just about what he had done to Buffy; it was about what he had done over the last century.

In his mind he knew that human William couldn't be held responsible for all that the monster Spike had done, but he still had all the memories. In his heart he took responsibility for everything. And it was in his heart that he was hurting most. "Enough of this. Stop acting like the poofter you stupid git." Finally he decided that he would just call Buffy first thing in the morning. But then a thought struck him. What if Buffy and Dawn were in trouble and that's why the phone was busy? Maybe the prophecy was true! Maybe the cursed vampire was at Buffy's house right now attacking them! He tried the phone one more time. Still busy. Damnit. Horrible thoughts began to rush through his mind. Without a second thought he grabbed his coat, and ran out the door into the night.  



	4. Dark of Night

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Steven receives a proposal he can't refuse while feelings and emotions run wild at the Summers' home  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "The Struggle Within" _

  
- 4 -  
Dark of Night

What had been a beautiful moonlit night in Sunnydale, quickly became cloudy and dark, almost as if nature sensed the impending confrontations that were to come. The two figures stood in the front yard of 1630 Revello Drive. The only available light came from the living room of the Summers' house. It filtered through the windows and washed across the front lawn towards the road, illuminating two figures. The one standing behind Steven wasn't paying much attention to the weather or to the wind whispering in the trees. There was only one thing on his mind. He stepped into the open so that Steven could see him clearly. The teen squinted to get a better view of his stalker.

"Good evening Connor," Wesley stated dryly. Tracking down the boy hadn't been that hard to do. Wolfram and Hart had been keeping a close watch on him ever since they had noticed him frequenting the Magic Box.

"My name is Steven," he said in a flat tone.

"It wasn't always...I should know."

"Who are you," Steven demanded as he clenched his fists. He knew he could out run his opponent if need be, but he was curious.

"You could say I'm an old friend of your father's," Wesley said as he took a step closer to the boy. 

Steven instinctively took a step back, wanting to keep enough distance between himself and the man. He narrowed his eyes as he took in the man before him. He didn't recognize him but there was something familiar about the voice. "I don't know you," he finally said.

"No. Not at the present time. But you did. I changed your diapers as a baby and looked after you."

Steven said nothing. He stood breathing deeply, preparing himself for the confrontation he was sure was to come.

"It's true you know," Wesley soothed. "I'm not here to harm you. I just want to talk."

"I don't trust you." Steven said flatly. Every muscle in his body was tense and every nerve ending was firing.

"As well you shouldn't." Wesley paused for a moment as he studied the teenager's posture. So much like his father. Proud and defiant. "Your father trusted me and he shouldn't have."

Steven furrowed his brow. "You say my father trusted you. My father was a monster. Are you?"

Wesley sighed. "No. I'm not a monster as you so eloquently put it. I'm human, although I think your father would disagree with me there. All I want to do is talk to you."

"Why?"

"Because, I think you and I have much to discuss."

"What could we have to talk about," he asked as the anger built in his voice. "My father? My true father is dead at the hands of that monster. I have nothing to talk to you about." He turned to walk away.

Wesley grabbed him by the arm.

"Let go of me," Steven demanded with an icy glare.

Wesley responded by dropping his arm to his side. He had never seen such hatred in a young person's eyes before.

Steven began walking away but Wesley followed. The teen picked up the pace but Wesley matched it until Steven broke into a run.

"Stop!" Wesley yelled, after several blocks of trying to keep up with the boy. He had to say something quickly, before Steven disappeared into the night. "I'm the one that sent you to hell!"

* * *

Buffy hung up the phone not long after she had admitted her love for Spike, William, again with the whatever. She knew she was in love with the vampire: but was she in love with the man. She didn't know William that well, not that she had tried to get to know him, she had been too busy feeling sorry for herself after the century old lovers reunited right in front of her. It shouldn't have been Cecily hugging and kissing him it should have been her. He was her's, not that former demon's who was so busy gloating that she hadn't even noticed Buffy's coolness towards her. Then again, nothing had really changed in that regard.

She wandered out of her room and down the hall towards Dawn's room. After checking on her sister, who was sound asleep, she decided to head outside to sit on the back steps. The fresh air just might help her clear her muddled brain. On her way out, she turned off the lights and locked the front door. Even though it had been a while since they had moved back into the house, she still wasn't used to it being so quiet. At times like this, she missed her mother, Giles, Willow, everyone who came and went through that door over the last six and a half years. Well, maybe not everyone. She really didn't miss Angel all that much anymore.

The night was warm and dark. She could sense a change in the seasons approaching. It was almost Autumn now. The days would still be warm but the nights would start cooling off soon. Those were the nights to look forward to since they were better for patrolling. She looked up into the sky hoping to see stars but all she saw was darkness. Typical. All she wanted to do was gaze at the stars and think. The stars were a pretty distraction and tonight she needed one. Fire bad, tree pretty. That's what her mind felt like right now. She sat down heavily on the top step. A smile slowly played across her lips as she remembered the times that Spike had joined her there. He had been there the night she found out her mom had to go to the hospital for tests, before shedied. He always seemed to be there for her at the most critical times in her life.

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Her life had changed radically in the last year and the one person who had shared it all with her was now somewhere else comforting someone else. It didn't seem fair. Yes, Giles would tell her that life wasn't fair and that they would all have to make do with the hand that was dealt, but she wasn't sure she believed in that anymore. Destiny. Prophecies. Some days it was just all too much. All she wanted right now was to be happy and to be loved by the one person who knew her inside and out. Spike. Suddenly, she heard him calling her name.

* * *

Steven stopped abruptly and stood completely still. Had he just heard right? Had he just heard the man say that he was the one that sent him to that hell place? His true father had always told him that the monster had been responsible for that. He slowly turned his body sideways so that he could look at the man. "You're lying."

"No. No I'm not. It was my fault that you were taken there. I was deceived and in return I deceived your father."

"Stop lying to me," he growled as he took several strides closer to Wesley. His hands were clenched and his face was contorted in a scowl.

Wesley stood his ground. "Connor, please. Let's just go somewhere to talk. It's not safe out here on the streets. People are looking for you."

Finally, Steven's shoulders slumped. He didn't trust the man but if it were true, if people were looking for him, he needed to get somewhere safe. "Say I do go with you. How do I know you won't try to kill me?"

Wesley looked at the boy, the offspring of two vampires, and sneered. "I saw you with Angel that night in the club."

Steven frowned and shook his head, indicating that he wasn't sure what Wesley was talking about.

"The night you and your father fought side by side. You have incredible strength and power. I assure you, I don't want to go up against that." He sensed that Connor was torn between what he wanted to do and what he knew he should do.

Finally, Steven spoke. "I will go with you. But I swear, if you try to do anything to me, I will kill you."

Wesley nodded. "I have no doubt about that."

* * *

William ran through the streets trying to make his way to Revello Drive. In the weeks since he had been back in Sunnydale, he hadn't bothered to get his car. Why? Because it had been Spike's and he didn't want it. Now that he was walking, okay, running as fast as he could to the other side of town, the reason for not picking up the car seemed almost foolish. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He still had the ability to run like a vampire but his lungs needed to catch up. "Bloody brilliant you are," he gasped, "trying to be all above board and human. Maybe next time you should take the sodding bus!" Or maybe he should have decided to find an apartment closer to the Summers' home instead of making sure he was on the opposite end of town from it.

The area he was in now wasn't well lit, and without his vampire vision he was mostly running blind. As he picked up the pace again, he tripped over something on the sidewalk. It was the body of a young blonde woman. At first glance his heart sank. In the darkness, the body could have been mistaken for Buffy. It was the same height and build. Slowly he picked himself up and tried to examine the body in the dim light. He was certain that he already knew the cause of death without even looking, but he pushed himself to continue. There, on the left side of her neck, were the tell tale puncture marks; but there was something else, a symbol that he recognized. He drew in a sharp breath and cursed silently to himself, and gently laid the woman's head back down on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to report the body but figured that in Sunnyhell, a cop would come across it soon enough.

Amazingly enough, five minutes later, and not as winded as before, William reached the front of the Summers' home. Panic began to fill him once again when he noticed the house was dark and still. Only twenty minutes, tops, had elapsed from the time he had left his apartment to the moment he had arrived here. Things couldn't have quieted down in the house that quickly. He checked the front door. It was locked. After trying to peer into the living room window, he gave up and made his way to the back of the house. He was trying to remain calm but his emotions were getting the better of him. What if something had happened? What if Dawn was hurt and Buffy was dead? He knew he wouldn't be able to go on living, not without her in his life. It had almost killed him the last time. 

Tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks as he rounded the corner of the house. His heart stopped when he saw her. She was sitting on the back steps looking into the night. She was alive and well. His emotions took over. "Buffy," he called out as he ran towards her. She turned towards the voice, looking surprised. When he reached her, he knelt before her and took her face in his hands.

"William? What are you doing here?" She was concerned. Something awful must have happened for him to be acting so strangely. She tried to stand up but he wouldn't let her.

"I was so afraid something happened to you luv." He pulled her into an embrace and stroked her hair.

* * *

Buffy relished the feel of his arms around her. She wanted so desperately to be lost in him, but there was something wrong. Why was he here? She tried to pull back from the embrace a second time and this time he let her. He kept touching her face and stroking her hair. What had gotten into him to make him act this way?

"Buffy, I'm so glad you're okay. I thought the worst when I couldn't get through on the phone to you"

Confused, she gave him a frown. Oh. The phone. It had been busy. "William just because the phone is busy doesn't mean the world is ending. Some of us don't have call waiting. Why would you think that something happened?"

"Giles said"

"What does this have to do with Giles," she demanded going into complete Slayer mode.

William took a step back when he realized his mistake. "Nothing. He, uh, had to go to England."

"What? Now? Tonight?" Giles wouldn't just up and leave without a good reason, of that she was positive.

"They translated part of the prophecy and they needed him there to verify it. That's all." He had composed himself by this point.

"Don't lie to me William," she said grabbing him by his shirt. She was sure he was hiding something from her.

"Take your hands off me! I've just told you the truth."

She glared and released him from her grip. "So you came all this way just to tell me that Giles left? I find that hard to believe. He would have called himself"

"He couldn't. He was packing and asked me to let you know. I couldn't get through on the phone. I figured you'd want to know right away since you two are so chummy." He could feel them falling back into the old familiar routine. He'd give her information and she'd beat him up over it. No way. Not this time. He was the watcher now, not her punching bag.

"You're lying." She didn't think he was but she didn't want him to just leave.

"Why would I lie to you about something like that," he demanded. Anger began to rise up in him.

"You act surprised that I wouldn't trust you." She shook her head and started walking away. She knew she was playing a game with him, but did he?

"Don't walk away from me after saying that." He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. "How do you think that makes me feel? I'm not the same as when I left. You can't just treat me like something you throw out with morning rubbish any longer. I'm human, Buffy, and as much as you don't want to see that, it's too bad. I'm not going anywhere so get used to it."

"Are you finished?"

"I am." He let go of her arm and looked her in the eyes.

"Good. Now how dare you come back here and just expect me to accept you as my watcher. Especially after everything. Go home to Cecily, William. I'm tired."

"Is that what this is all about? Cecily? Get over yourself already!" 

"Why? Because you did?" She was yelling now as well as crying.

He softened at the sight of her tears. "Buffy, I"

It was too late. She was too far-gone. The pain of the last few weeks was eating her up inside and she needed to release it. "You left because you wanted to get a soul so that I could love you, but you know what? I already loved you!"

He stood in shock, staring at her.

"I already loved you and you left. Just like they all do. Thenthen you come back, and you're not even the same person I fell in love with."

He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"As if that wasn't enough," she continued through her tears, "you fall in love with Cecily. It's supposed to be me that you love! Not her!" She was beating on his chest now with both fists.

"Buffy, luv"

"Just stop. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear how much you love her."

"Luv," he said taking her face in his hands, "I don't love her. I love _you_."  



	5. Moonlight Dancing

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** William and Buffy blur the lines between Watcher and Slayer while something horrible happens to Dawn  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Dark of Night" _

  
- 5 -  
Moonlight Dancing

As if on cue, the full moon in its splendor revealed itself from behind the clouds. What had been darkened was now alight with an eerie glow. What had been perceived to be lost was now found. The Slayer and her Watcher stood in the backyard entwined in one another. The moonlight danced over the young woman's blonde hair giving it the look of a shimmering golden waterfall. The Watcher held his charge close, savoring every moment she allowed him to hold her like this, letting her sobs subside. He buried his face in her silky hair and breathed deeply. She smelled of vanilla with just a hint of roses. He wasn't a religious man but as he closed his eyes, he prayed to whomever would hear him to let him be able to hold her this way, forever.

The Slayer wrapped her arms around her Watcher's neck and allowed him to pull her closer. She melted into him as he stroked her hair and whispered softly into her ear. Her body ached for him. As she closed her eyes, she let her senses take over. It was then that she realized that the old familiar smells of tobacco and alcohol had been replaced by the scents of aftershave and soap. It was just one of the many changes she would have to get used to now. Her mind reeled as she replayed his words over and over again. "I don't love her. I love _you_." Had he really uttered the words? She had been too busy beating on his chest and screaming at him to know for sure but she had her answer after looking into his sapphire eyes. This was really happening.

* * *

Dawn had heard the screaming as if Buffy and William had been in the room next door or right outside of her bedroom. The highly agitated voices had awakened her, not from a deep sleep mind you, but from somewhere in between. Who really sleeps well the night before the first day of school anyway? It certainly wouldn't be her this evening if the two of them kept it up. "Note to self," she sighed as she pulled the pillow over her head, "close bedroom window before going to sleep." After about five minutes, and with some hope, she removed the pillow, only to be assaulted with more of Buffy's shouting. Great, her sister really had a flair for the dramatics. She wished they would just make up already and put the rest of them out of their collective miseries.

She held her breath when she heard Buffy shout "I already loved you!" Had her sister finally said it? Had she really finally admitted it to him? Her heart began to soar. This was it! Finally! Then she heard Buffy cry out, "I already loved you and you left. Just like they all do. Thenthen you come back, and you're not even the same person I fell in love with." Uh oh. This could get ugly. Eventually it was Buffy's sobs that disturbed her the most as they drifted in through the window. Concerned, she threw back her covers and sluggishly pulled herself out of bed. She made her way to the window with the assistance from the moonlight that was streaming through it. She arrived in time to see William pull her sister into an embrace, trying to calm her. That's when she heard him say it, "I don't love her. I love _you_." A wide smile broke out on Dawn's face as she watched her sister slump against her Watcher's chest. They had both said it. Now maybe she could get some sleep.

As she watched the two embrace, her mind drifted off to thoughts of Steven. Their relationship wasn't one of puppy love; it felt much deeper than that. It wasn't just some teenage crush either. It felt old and familiar, comfortable. She felt as if she was destined to be with him. She could tell by looking in his eyes that he felt the same. He was so different from anyone else she had ever met and it made her feel good. It was nice to know that she wasn't the only freak her age. The thought made her smile. She closed her eyes and pictured him in her mind. Suddenly her room came to life and she snapped her eyes open. A portal began to appear behind her. She stood quickly, and walked to the shimmering air. Once it stabilized, she noticed that it had opened on the same place she had seen with Steven the other night.

* * *

The car ride to Wesley's place had only taken a few minutes. They parked the car and made their way into the apartment. He hustled Steven through the door and flipped on the lights. His new place wasn't as comfortable as his place in Los Angeles. It was stark in contrast. He hadn't hung anything up on the walls, nor taken the time to unpack many of the boxes. To him, this wasn't home: it was just a layover to his final destination, whatever that would be. He cleared some boxes off the couch and motioned for the teen to sit down. Steven eyed the couch warily but took a seat on the far end, as far away from Wesley as possible.

"Do you want anything to drink or to eat," Wesley asked off handedly.

Steven shook his head and lowered his eyes.

"Surely you eat?" He studied Angel's son closely. The boy looked well nourished and healthy.

"I make do," Steven said quietly. He felt overly confined in this apartment, like a caged animal.

Wesley noticed Steven's tense posture. "You may leave anytime you wish to after we talk, so relax. Are you sure you don't need anything?"

Again Steven shook his head.

"Alright then. I suppose I should properly introduce myself to you. I'm Wesley Wyndham-Pryce." He waited to see if his name brought any type of reaction from the boy. None. "I used to work for your fatherAngel, back when we helped people."

"Monsters do not help people," Steven snapped at him.

Wesley nodded his head. "Right. Well Angel did. Angel was special. Did you know that he was cursed with a soul?"

Steven shrugged. "Maybe my father mentioned it in passing." His face dropped at the mention of his father. Almost immediately anger replaced any reflection that was there. "It doesn't matter! Angel was still a monster."

"That might be so. But he had a soul. That gave him the ability to do good things. He was to eventually be rewarded by the Powers for his help. Angel was supposed to become human."

"That's a lie!"

"No. It was prophesized, as was your birth. You see you are quite the miracle. A child of two vampires; not something that happens everyday you know."

"What does this have to do with me," he demanded. He was growing impatient with the history lesson.

Wesley snorted. The boy was just as impatient as his father had been. "Connor"

"Don't call me that!" He hated the name Connor more than he hated the monster that had given it to him.

"Fine. Steven. I work for people who are very interested in you. These people were Angel's enemies. They would like you to help them."

"To do what," Steven asked curiously.

"To help them gain control of Sunnydale. I'm sure you've realized its mystical significance by now."

Steven nodded.

Now for the lie. "They want to rid Sunnydale of the monsters. To make it safe for everyone, not just a few people. But first, first we need to get rid of those who stand in our way."

"Who?"

"The Slayer and her friends."

* * *

It seemed like they stood in the embrace forever, letting their emotions wash over them. Finally, William pulled back so that he could look her in the eyes. Despite her puffy eyes and tear-streaked cheeks, he was so taken by her beauty that he could barely speak, let alone breathe. Absently he reached up and gently brushed away a stray tear from her face. She leaned her face into his hand and kissed his palm. 

"Buffy," he choked, "please say it again. I need to hear you say it again." He was certain he had imagined everything. He held his breath as he waited for her to speak.

She looked up at him through the tears and smiled. "I love you Spike."

He crushed her body to his again and began to weep tears of joy. He had waited for what seemed like centuries to hear her say those words, and now that she had finally spoken them, nothing would ever become between them again. Nothing.

She rested her head against his chest while he held her and she listened to his heartbeat. It was strong and steady. It was comforting to her. The phrase "where do we go from here" played over in her mind as it had the night Xander had summoned Sweet. She needed to know what was next for them. She wanted to make sure they had a future. "Spike," she whispered, "now what?"

He cupped her chin in his hand and raised her head to look him in the eyes. "Now I'm going to kiss you," he snarked.

She swatted him playfully and smiled broadly. "I'm serious Spike. What does this all mean?"

He put his arm around her and led her over to the back steps. Once they sat down, he continued. "I suppose we should suss out how we're going to handle things, between us and around everyone else. I'm sure Xander"

"To hell with Xander!"

William looked at her in surprise and chuckled. "That's my girl." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "I want you to know something," he said becoming deadly serious, "I'll never leave you again. Ever."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I love you Buffy."

She closed her eyes as he touched his forehead to hers. She began showering his face with kisses and when their lips met, she swooned. She needed him. Every part of him. Souled or not. Human or not. She was his and he was hers. She finally realized the truth with every fiber of her beingthey were destined to be together. There was something so familiar about this scene, almost as if she had lived it before. It never even occurred to her that she had dreamed it once, not so long ago.

William broke off the kiss and pulled her onto his lap. They sat there for several moments gazing into each other's eyes. He noticed that everything around him was glowing softly from the moonlight. It was like a dream, a dream he never wanted to wake from.

She cocked her head to the side when she saw a grin appear on his face. "Wanna share the happy?"

"Thought I already was luv." He grinned at her again and laughed.

She frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Not funny. Justgood." He paused for a moment and then added, "Ya know, Rupert saw this coming."

"He did," Buffy asked incredulously. Despite the fact that she and Giles had talked about it, she just couldn't imagine him discussing it with Spike.

"Yep. Said he'd beat me to a bloody pulp again though if I hurt you. Don't have any plans on it though."

"Good because he wouldn't be the only one."

"Throw me to the wolves would you," he teased.

She pouted. "Only if you piss me off enough."

"Oh look at that pouty lip. I'm gonna get it."

The two of them laughed at their inside joke. Neither of them would have fathomed to guess that Willow's wonky "My Will Be Done" spell from over two years ago would eventually be right on target. 

Without speaking, he pulled them both to their feet and then led her inside the house. Slowly they made their way to the living room. He would have preferred Buffy's bedroom but he didn't want to wake the Bit. The curtains were open and the moonlight filtered into the room. He looked into her eyes once again. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. The kiss intensified as their need to be together grew. He hungrily met her tongue with his and he pulled her body into his. After what seemed an eternity, they both broke off the kiss to come up for much needed air. They were both breathing heavily. Slowly he began to unbutton her blouse. His hands were shaking. All he could think about was making love to her, right here, right now.

Buffy felt like she was going to explode. Anytime his hands or lips touched her she tingled all over. She needed to be with him, to feel him love her. She felt him push her blouse off her shoulders and kiss her neck. Her knees buckled and she thought she was going to faint from the sensation. She could feel him slip his arm behind her back to steady her. She hungrily kissed him back when his mouth met hers once again. Heat and desire were emanating from them. This was it. Tonight they were going to consummate their love. Tonight

Dawn's scream pierced the air.

  



	6. Worst Case Scenario

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Dawn's disappearance unexpectedly cuts short Buffy and William's reunion  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Moonlight Dancing" _

  
- 6 -  
Worst Case Scenario

Dawn peered into the portal. She was positive that this was the same place the portal had opened on that night she was with Steven. This time, it was darker and there was no one to be seen nor heard. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to decide if she should close the portal and forget about it or go through and check things out. The idea of finding out more about Steven was intriguing. Finally, curiosity got the better of her and she cautiously stepped into the room. It reminded her of a hotel lobby. She was just going to check things out, like she had when her first portal opened. Little by little her vision grew accustomed to the darkness. She chided herself for not grabbing her flashlight from her desk before stepping through the portal. If she was going to keep snooping around like this, she was going to have to start carrying one. 

A cabinet on the other side of the room caught her attention. It looked somewhat familiar to her. She wandered over to look inside. Her breath caught in her chest as she recognized some of the contents. Weapons. This was no ordinary hotel. She knew this place. Or did she? The fact that the monks had given her false memories didn't help; she was no longer sure what was real and what was implanted. This was frustrating. There was a little gnawing sensation at the back of her mind telling her that she should know this place, yet her mind remained cloudy. She quietly walked over to the front doors and looked out into the night. Wherever she was it was around the same time of night as Sunnydale, or at least close to it. Warily she tried to open the front doors, but they were locked. Okay. No way to get outside to see where she was. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a computer monitor with a scrolling screensaver. It was located behind the main counter. Maybe that would give her some clue to her current location. The desk where the computer resided was cluttered with papers. She turned on the desk light after glancing around the room to make sure she was still alone. The soft light illuminated a two-foot area on each side of the lamp. A silver framed picture sat near the telephone. Taking it in her hand, she studied the picture with great interest. A young, dark haired woman was smiling brightly and holding an infant in her arms. She thought she knew the girl, but again with the uncertainty. Gently she set the picture down and started to go through the loose papers on the desk. There had to be something here to tell her where she was. She glanced over to the portal, it was still there shimmering and humming. Good. After a few seconds she found something with letterhead on it. As she held it up to the light to read it, a hand fell on her shoulder.

Dawn's scream pierced the air.

* * *

Buffy and William froze at the sound of Dawn's scream. They quickly untangled, all thoughts of reuniting quelled. Dawn needed their help. Shifting into Slayer mode, Buffy went to the weapons chest, pulled out a sword and threw it at William. She grabbed a crossbow for herself. Heedless of her semi-nudeness, she bolted up the steps, taking two at a time, William close behind. It took less than a minute from the time they heard Dawn's scream to the time they reached her bedroom door. Buffy kicked the door open and charged into the room. It was completely empty.

"Dawn," Buffy screamed, "Dawn? Where are you?" Panic began to take hold of her. Where was her sister? She scanned the room searching for a sign, anything that would tell her what happened. There was nothing out of place.

William threw open the door to Dawn's closet silently hoping the teen was hiding inside. It was empty save for the girl's clothing. He turned to Buffy and shook his head. He could see the fear in her eyes.

"Where could she have gone? She didn't come downstairs. We would have seen her." Her voice trembled, mostly out of anger than out of fear. She knew deep down that her sister could take care of herself. But still, Dawn was her responsibility.

"Luv," William said quietly as he walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. "We'll find her. Okay?"

Buffy nodded slowly. She walked over to her sister's bed. To her it looked as though Dawn had gotten out of bed willingly, no signs of a struggle. She glanced over at the window. It was open.

William followed her gaze. "There's no way"

"This is Sunnydale," she stated flatly, "Anything is possible." 

"Right," he sighed. Still, the girl couldn't have gotten far. It hadn't taken them that long to get up the steps! From what he could tell, the widow hadn't been forced open.

"You go outside and look around. See if you can find any tracks. I'm going to call Xander, maybe even Anya and let them know Dawn's missing. We'll do a sweep of the town and then meet with them at the Magic Box."

He nodded.

Without hesitation, the two walked out of Dawn's room and hurried toward their assigned tasks, both hoping the other would find some important clue as to the whereabouts of the missing teen.

* * *

Wesley watched as a wide grin crossed Steven's face. It was almost chilling. Wesley narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Do you know what a Slayer is?"

"I know what _and_ who the Slayer is," Steven replied as he moved to the edge of his seat. He wanted to know more. Now.

"Good. Then I won't go into details about Ms. Summers. Tell me though, how did you find out about her?"

He shrugged. "I overhead Fred and Gunn. They were talking about how Angel could love only one person. Her."

"Ah, yes. Buffy." He didn't see Steven's dark expression at the mention of her name.

"She loved that monster." He was angry. Disgust was rising in his voice as he continued. "How could anyone ever willingly love something like that, especially a person whose quest it is to kill them?"

Wesley stared in shock at the boy. He noted that Holtz had done a nice job brainwashing the child. "Buffy loved Angel. That's true. They have a bond that no one has been able to break. Now do you understand why my employers want to get her and her friends out of the way?"

Steven nodded. He had already made up his mind. "I will help you. Tell me what I need to do."

Wesley smiled at the teen. This had been easier than he had expected. "There is one other thing"

"And that is?"

"Dawn."

* * *

The forest was usually quiet this time of night. No creature could be heard, not even of the nocturnal variety. The Master paced in the cave, waiting for the next meal to be dropped off. He could feel himself become stronger every time he fed. His minions were starting to grow in numbers now. They were bringing him offerings, as were the ones who had betrayed him. It was such a shame that they hadn't let him turn the first one. She would have made a splendid bride. They had wanted to use her as a calling card for the Slayer. Every time his thoughts dwelled on the Slayer he became angry and anxious at the same time. This timethis time she would be judged and he would be her executioner. The thought thrilled him. He closed his eyes and remembered the taste of her. She had been so young then. Would she taste sweeter now?

In his mind he played out every scenario, every detail of what it was going to be like to confront her again. Should he kill her instantly or torture her slowly? Perhaps he would even turn her friends before turning her, that way she would suffer more by watching their pain. She would become his right hand and his bride. He could not think of a more fitting end to her life. The night of his release was coming and she had no idea. He had been strong the night he had died at her hands, but he would be even stronger this time around, virtually indestructible. And there was nothing they would be able to do to stop him. The Last Judgment was going to make the Harvest and the Night of St. Vigeous look like child's play. The Order of Aurelius would be reborn.

* * *

Buffy hung up the phone after waking Xander and explaining the situation to him. He was going to check the cemeteries and neighborhoods closest to his place and then meet up with her at the Magic Box in a few hours.

"Don't worry Buff," he had said, "we're gonna find her and she's gonna be okay."

If only she could believe that. Where could Dawn have gone? What could have taken her? Buffy closed her eyes and heard Dawn's scream roar through her mind. She shuddered. Had she failed her sister again?

The sound of the backdoor slamming closed snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see William staring at her, concern filling his eyes. She looked away. She could tell that he had found nothing to help them find her sister.

William glided across the kitchen to take her in his arms. "It's going to be alright, Pet. We'll find her. She's strong you know, like her big sis."

For the second time that night, Buffy cried.

"Hush Luv. It's going to be okay." He tried to comfort her as best he could but he was worried about Niblet just as much as she was. A thought occurred to him as he stroked Buffy's hair and rocked her in his arms. "Buffy," he said kissing her on top of her head, "What if something didn't take her?"

She looked up at him with a puzzled expression. What was he trying to get at?

"Just hear me out. What if she opened a portal and went through? You know how she's been about wanting to investigate things. A real Harriet the Spy she is. What if she went through and"

"And something got her? What if something on the other side pulled her through? How will we ever find her?" She was almost in hysterics now.

Great. This is not what he'd had in mind. He just wanted her to be open to the possibility. "No. I'm saying, worst case scenario, what if she went through to snoop and someone startled her"

"SpikeGod I don't even know what to you call you anymore. Either way, what you're saying is she could be trapped somewhere. No. I refuse to believe that. Something has her and we _have_ to find her. We _have_ to!"

William nodded. "Alright then. Let's go do a quick sweep of the town. If she's out there, we'll find her."

Buffy quietly thanked him with a kiss. She grabbed the crossbow and they made their way out into the night.

* * *

After she was finished screaming, Dawn grabbed the hand on her shoulder and spun around like Buffy had taught her. Her attacker was much larger and stronger than she was, but she wasn't going down without a fight. She threw all of her weight into the move, and they both went crashing to the floor. Before her attacker could compose himself, Dawn was up and across the room, heading for the weapons cabinet. She was terrified when she heard her assailant's moan and the sound of him getting to his feet. Panicking, she chose a battle-axe that was much heavier than she had anticipated.

The footsteps were getting closer. She brought the axe up to her shoulder and started swinging blindly. However, the weight of the axe combined with her shaky footing sent her sprawling, face down, to the floor with a scream. Pain shot through her ankle and up her leg. Bloody hell. Had she just broken something? She lay quietly as she tried to assess her situation. That's when she heard the footsteps again. They were closer than before. She could sense him standing over her. Closing her eyes, she summoned all of her courage. As the man's hand touched her leg, she yelled and rolled away, scrambling to her feet.

"Don't come near me asshole," she threatened. "I'll kill you!"

She tried to look around the room for an escape route. That's when she discovered that the portal had closed. Of course it had. It had probably closed as soon as that guy had grabbed her from behind. Damn. Now she was stuck here for sure. "Okay. Okay. Breathe deep and focus," she whispered to herself. If she could just calm down enough to think about Buffy she'd be able to open another portal and go home. As soon as she had quieted herself down, that's when she noticed that the footsteps had stopped.

The footsteps stopped. Suddenly the room was filled with light. Her hand flew up to her eyes to shield them from the glare.

"Dawn," the male voice asked from somewhere across the room. "Is that you?"

Dawn lowered her hand. Her eyes widened. "Angel?"

  



	7. Lost & Found

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** The search for Dawn is on, but Buffy and William find more than what they ever expected  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Worst Case Scenario" _

  
- 7 -  
Lost & Found

"We really should have called Cecily to have her help look for Dawn," Anya chided as they walked along the darkened street. "The more people looking for her the better, right?"

Even though Xander knew that Anya had a valid point, he still rolled his eyes at her. She had been droning on about Cecily and William for the past hour and it was driving him crazy. He didn't care about either one of those, dare he say it, people. If it were up to him, he would send them both back to England where they belong. Or was that belonged? At this point in time, he didn't care anymore.

"An, we need to focus on looking for Dawn. Cecily doesn't know the town that well, yet. She would just get lost and then we'd have to look for her, too." That sounded reasonable, didn't it?

"You're right," Anya sighed. "It's just that Cecily really cares for Dawn, god knows Buffy doesn't."

"Hey," he shouted angrily as he spun to face her, "Buffy cares about Dawn! Buffy just went through athing last year, which we caused. Buffy gave her life for that girl, so don't tell me that she doesn't care about Dawn." 

"Fine. I'm just saying that if Buffy hadn't been off on her own little pity party, Dawn wouldn't have been stealing from me to get attention. We wouldn't have gotten trapped at their house. Cecily does care for Dawn. That's all I'm saying."

"Right. In her own warped little way." Xander hadn't liked Halfrek as a demon and he certainly liked her even less, if that were possible, as a human. There was just something about her that rubbed him the wrong way.

"Are we done yet Xander? Because I, for one, would like to go back home and get more sleep. A woman needs her beauty sleep. This is going to wreak havoc on my flawless complexion. Besides, shouldn't we go back to the shop to see if they found her yet?"

Xander closed his eyes and shook his head. This was the woman that he loved. Amazing. Xander Harris, you chose. He wouldn't have had it any other way. "Okay. We'll go back to the Magic Box to see if Buffy or William have found anything yet. Then we'll go from there."

"Good because my feet are killing me!"

For the first time that night he looked down at her feet and noticed that she was wearing heels. He gave her an exasperated look.

"What? This was all I had at your place."

He shook his head again and grabbed her hand, leading the way back to the Magic Box.

* * *

The time had slipped away from them while they had talked, so now Steven was asleep on Wesley's couch. It hadn't been difficult talking the teen into staying at his place; he could see the look of exhaustion in the boy's eyes. Gently he covered him with an extra blanket he had found in one of the unpacked boxes. He studied Connor's features; even in sleep, he looked tense and ready to fight. For a brief moment, Wesley felt guilty. He was to blame for Connor's hatred towards Angel. He should have known Angel well enough to realize that the vampire would have never hurt his child. All the pain that he had caused in that one moment of weakness haunted him.

"All in the past old boy," Wesley whispered, as he backed away from the couch. He quietly made his way over to the phone. He was well aware of the boy's supernatural hearing so things would have to be kept brief.

"Do you know what time it is?" The female voice on the other end demanded before he could say anything. "You better have good news for me."

"It's done."

"Very nice Wesley. I'm impressed."

"Thought you might be."

"The senior partners will be in your debt."

He remained silent.

"Perhaps I'll thank youin person."

Wesley closed his eyes. "Very well, we shall talk later." He hung up the phone and glanced back over at the boy.

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

* * *

William had refused to leave Buffy's side. She had thought that it would have been better to split up, cover more ground; but he had been insistent about staying with her. Now she was happy to have him along, his presence gave her the stability that she wouldn't otherwise have at the moment. Her thoughts kept drifting to William, even though her first priority was Dawn. Every time she let her mind wander there, her stomach would do little somersaults. No doubt about it, she was definitely in love, and at such an inopportune time.

Before he even looked over at her, he felt her eyes on him, and his body yearned for her touch. He couldn't believe that she was his now and that they were going to be together after all of this time. Finally. It was all he could do to keep himself from grabbing her and making love to her right here in the cemetery. "Focus man," he demanded of himself. This was neither the time nor place for these thoughts, especially since Bit was still missing. There would be plenty of time to ravage his love's body after Dawn was safe, and sound. He took a deep breath.

"Luv," he said quietly, "maybe we should head back to the shop. We've checked every cemetery and we've found nothing to go on. Maybe the whelp and Anya have found her."

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. He was right, they should check in with the others to see what, if anything, they had found on their search. "I'm not ready to give up yet. I want to stop by Willy's first. I figure if anyone knows anything, it'll be him. Besides, I'm up for a little round of kick the bartender. How 'bout you?"

He chuckled softly. "All right then. Off to Willy's we go."

They continued to walk through the cemetery on their way to the demon bar, when they came across several fresh graves.

"Probably more fledglings," she sighed. "There's been a lot of them lately. Guess we're gonna have to wait for them to rise before we go to Willy's."

William looked at his watch. "Shouldn't be much longer now if they are"

Sure enough, as if on cue, two of the three began pulling themselves out of the loose ground.

"Good morning sleepy heads," Buffy quipped, as she stood in front of them. "Oh, did I say good? I meant to say too bad for you that it won't be good."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stake. The first vamp was barely out of the ground when she turned him to dust, the second one was slightly luckier, she had gotten all the way out and was now trying to stand.

"Oh," Buffy snarked, "bet you're really hungry, huh?"

The female vamp licked her lips and stared at the Slayer.

"Sorry," Buffy stated as she staked the vamp, "but the kitchen is closed."

William had already taken care of the third fledgling by the time Buffy had finished with the first. He didn't think he would ever tire of watching her work. She loved the dance and he loved watching her. He walked over to her and kissed her passionately. Things would have gone further if she hadn't reminded him of their task at hand.

"Searching for Dawn and then going to Willy's remember?"

"Right," he sighed heavily. "Let's go."

* * *

Anya and Xander were sitting at the table drinking coffee when Buffy and William finally arrived at the Magic Box.

"Anything?" Xander asked as he quickly stood up.

"We were just going to ask you the same thing," Buffy replied.

"So we can go home to bed now," Anya asked hopefully.

They all stared at the ex-demon.

"What? Tell me you're not tired!"

"We're all tired," William stated, trying to avert tempers flaring.

"So, you guys didn't find anything at all," Xander asked.

"No," Buffy said dejectedly, "Nothing. But we did get to beat up Willy for a while. That was fun."

"Good for you Buff," Xander laughed. 

"I shouldn't say we didn't find anything cause Willy did give up some information, it just didn't have to do with Dawn."

Xander wrinkled his brow. "Anything we should be concerned about?"

"Yeah, but not right now; we need to find Dawn first."

"I'm sure we'll hear something soon," Anya chimed in. "Usually when there's a kidnapping, those responsible will make demands, usually of the monetary variety."

"Thanks oh so much for the help sweetie," Xander said glaring at her. Then he looked over at Buffy and continued, "What do you think happened to Dawn? I mean, where could she have possibly gone and who would have taken her? Think it might have something to do with what you found out at Willy's?"

"I'm thinking no," she said, shaking her head. After a moment she continued. "Earlier William brought up the idea that maybe Dawn went through one of her portals and it closed."

"Well if that's the case," Xander mussed, "doesn't that mean she can get back here by opening one to us?"

"We're not sure how it all works yet. But that's a good point." Buffy hadn't thought about that. Did Dawn's powers work both ways? They didn't know enough at this point, but somehow Xander's statement gave her some hope.

"Look," William stated, "Anya's right. If Dawn has been kidnapped I'm sure we'll hear something soon. Pet, why don't you check the answering machine at home and see if there's any messages."

"Good idea," Buffy said, as she walked over to the phone and dialed her home number. After a few moments, she set the receiver back in the cradle and shook her head. "There's nothing."

"Right then, let's do this," William said taking charge, "We'll all go home and get some sleep and meet back here first thing in the morning. Maybe by then we'll have heard something."

"Sounds good to me," Anya replied. "Come on honey, let's go home." She grabbed Xander's hand and began pulling him towards the door.

"If you hear anything" Xander started.

"We'll call you immediately," Buffy finished.

* * *

Outside the Magic Box, William and Buffy watched Xander and Anya walk away towards Xander's place.

"I should get home," Buffy sighed, as she stifled a yawn. She was exhausted and the thought of her going back to that house alone wasn't thrilling. What she needed most right now, other than Dawn returning home, was to be comforted.

"Why don't you come home with me Pet?" William suggested as he took her hand in his. "I'm only a block away." He didn't like the idea of her going home alone and by the looks of her she was about to fall asleep standing up.

"What if she calls?"

"You can check the machine regularly. It's not like you're going to be able to do much without a good night's rest."

"You're right, but I still think I should go home since that's where Dawn will try first."

"Bit has my number as well and I'm sure she has it memorized, at least that's the impression I've gotten from the amount of times she's called it."

Buffy stared at him incredulously. "She has your number? I don't even have your number! Oh, wait. I do. Never mind. Brain drain."

"Come on, luv. Some rest will do you good."

Buffy looked at him and then looked towards home. He was right. It was a far walk and she was tired. She decided that she'd rest for an hour or so and then go home to shower and check the machine.

"I'm not taking no for an answer," William commanded.

She gave him a slight smile. She really didn't feel like arguing with him right now. "Okay. But only for a couple hours."

"Agreed."

* * *

It had only taken them five minutes to get to William's apartment. As soon as he had turned on the lights, Buffy had been speechless. The apartment was a nice size loft in an old warehouse and it was tastefully decorated. She knew she shouldn't be surprised at his decorating capabilities, since he had been able to make the crypt look somewhat homey, but she was in awe here.

"This is beautiful," she exclaimed.

He blushed somewhat at her compliment. Then he turned to her and said, "I'll sleep on the sofa, and you can take the bed."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose." She loved the fact that he was being such a gentleman. 

"You're not imposing and I insist."

Their eyes met and suddenly she didn't feel so tired any more. So much for focusing on Dawn, she thought. It wasn't that Dawn didn't matter to her, because she did, it was just that she longed to be with him and being with him would make things a little more bearable. Surely her seeking comfort in the arms of the man she loved wasn't wrong, was it?

She looked up into his blue eyes and smiled seductively. "I'm not really tired now."

He grinned back at her like a silly schoolboy. He took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. "Are you sure, Luv," he asked, not wanting her to do something she would come to regret in the morning.

"I'm sure," she said huskily as she placed her arms around his neck.

They stood staring into each other's eyes for several moments. He wanted to remember every detail about this night and about her. Tenderly he brushed her lips with his and he felt her shudder. She returned the kiss, this time more passionately. As the kiss intensified, he picked her up in his arms and slowly made his way to the bedroom. Gently he placed her on the bed and lay down next to her, never breaking the kiss. Her tongue sought his as their hands explored wildly, trying to touch as much flesh as possible. They broke off the kiss to come up for air. His deep blue eyes searched her pale green ones.

"Buffy, I love you."

She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I love you too Spike."

He pulled her to him in a tight embrace.

Softly she whispered, "Make love to me."

Everything he had ever been hoping for was now right in front of him. Looking into her eyes, he saw her love for him and as a result, he began showering her face in soft kisses. 

On the other side of town, the phone in the Summers' house began to ring.

  



	8. The Exchange

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** R - Some language, violence and adult content  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Dawn tries to reach Buffy at home while things heat up at William's  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Lost & Found" _

  
- 8 -  
The Exchange

Dawn lowered her hand. Her eyes widened. "Angel?"

Angel frowned as he recognized Buffy's not-so-little sister; at least he was fairly certain that the thin, tall brunette was Dawn. "Dawn? What are you doing here?"

She limped over to him as fast as she could considering her injured ankle and threw her arms around him. "Oh my god, Angel! I'm so happy it's you and not some psycho-demon stalker!" She was extremely relieved that her attacker turned out to be a familiar face.

Dawn's embrace had taken Angel by surprise. Instead of trying to extricate himself from the overly happy girl, he returned her affections. He really couldn't remember the last time he had seen Dawn, maybe it had been after her mother died, he wasn't sure, but she had grown up a lot since then. He noted that she was much taller now and quite a bit stronger. He noticed her wince in pain when she finally released him from the hug.

"Are you hurt? Let me help you to the couch." He slipped his arm around her back to support her.

"I'm fine, nothing I can't fix. I guess I shouldn't try swinging axes that are bigger than me yet."

"Yeah. I was going to ask you where you learned to do that. I guess I already know the answer."

"Buffy's been teaching me. I started getting Slayer-like powers around my sixteenth birthday, along with a few other ones, so Giles thought I should learn how to use them." By this point, she had lifted her injured ankle and placed it on the couch. It looked bruised and swollen.

"Dawn you better let me get some ice for that, it looks pretty bad."

"No," she said, grabbing his arm before he could walk away. "It'll be fine, really. I have this really cool power that let's me heal stuff. Watch!" Slowly, she traced her ankle with her finger and concentrated all of her energy on the injury. In seconds, the swelling went down and the bruise disappeared.

"How'd you do that?" Angel asked incredulously.

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "No clue. Isn't it neat though?"

The only reaction Angel could give her was raising his eyebrows. Then he gave her a crooked smile. "So Dawn, wanna tell me how you got here? I'm pretty sure Buffy didn't just drive up here and drop you off for a weekend with me."

* * *

Willow and Tara happily walked hand in hand on their way back to their flat. It was a beautiful day in Devon, in more ways than one. The sun was shining and Willow had just received word from the Coven that if she passed her next trial successfully, she could return home. That had been the best news she had heard in the last few months. She was feeling better and doing well with magic, she no longer felt the need to have power. That was a step in the right direction for sure! Willow glanced over at Tara. The young woman had really come out of her shell over here in England. She sensed that Tara was more confident and definitely much more powerful than before. Everything was really coming together for the two of them.

"So, do you think Buffy will tell Spuhm, William how she feels about him?" Tara asked as she slowed their pace and led Willow to a bench by the pond.

Willow frowned and thought for a second. "I'm not sure. I'm still trying to get over the whole fact that Spike is human and that Buffy loves him!"

"Yeah. It's all so strange, but not really I guess. Buffy's the light and Spike's the dark. It's balance, or at least it was before Spike became human."

"I guess. Why does Buffy always have to go for a vampire? I mean, first there was Angel, which was understandable cause, well, soulgood. Then there was Spikenot so good. I don't get it. Why can't Buffy just have a normal boyfriend, like she did with Riley?"

"Willow, Buffy is who she is. Who better understands what she needs? A normal human guy isn't going to be enough for her. Riley wasn't. He wanted to protect her from her calling instead of just letting her be who she was."

Willow sighed. "You're right. But stillSpike? Ick factor plus twenty."

"Not really, not when you think about it in terms of how Spike was while Buffy was gone. He protected Dawn when he had nothing to gain and he loved Buffy without conditions. He's not really as bad as all of you make him sound."

"I guess you're right, but he did try to kill us"

"So did Buffy. Does that mean we should hate her too?"

Willow frowned when she realized her lover was right on the mark. "No. I guess it's just going to take some getting used to."

"Come on," Tara said with a seductive smile. "Let's go back to the room and get used to some otherthings."

Willow grinned and let her lover lead the way.

* * *

"Where do you want me to start," Dawn asked.

"Is it that long of a story?" Angel wasn't sure why the girl just couldn't tell him how she had gotten there. Was it that difficult to explain?

"Wellit could be."

"Alright thenStart from the beginning."

Dawn told him in detail, about their confrontation with Warren and how her powers started to surface around that time. She noticed the pained look on Angel's face when she got to the part about Buffy being buried alive in the rubble.

"She got out okay. She saved the world, again. I think that's what she needed, especially after how she handled coming back fromyou know."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she wasn't exactly herself when the gang brought her back. At first we thought it was cause she had been trapped in hell and it would take a while. But then we found out she had been in heaven..."

"She was in heaven?" Angel asked incredulously.

Dawn sighed and lowered her eyes. "Yeah. She was really happy there. After they brought her back, it was just too much for her to deal with and I didn't help things any."

Angel looked down at his feet. Buffy had needed someone and he hadn't been there for her. Why did he always feel like he let her down? "I'm sorry she had to go through that alone."

"She really didn't go through it alone, she had Spike"

"Spike? What does Spike have to do with this?"

She had forgotten that Spike and Angel didn't get along. There was no need for her to tell him about the relationship, or about what happened between Spike and Buffy before Spike left the country. "Nothing reallyhe just protected me and helped Buffy out as much as he could."

"I see. But what does any of this have to do with you being here?"

She then explained that her latest power included the opening and closing of portals. "Giles says it has something to do with some prophecy, that my powers were foretold or something like that. I am the key after all."

"Right." The key? Did he know about this? There was so much about Buffy's life that he didn't share in anymore.

They continued their discussion about her powers and then moved to all things Sunnydale. Before they both realized it, a couple of hours had passed.

"Oh my gosh!" Dawn exclaimed, as she looked at the clock above the desk. "Buffy's probably worried sick. I'm sure she heard me scream. I should call her!"

"You can use the phone over on the front desk. Let her know you're okay and that I'll bring you home later in the evening."

Dawn smiled brightly and hurried over to the phone. She heard the phone in Sunnydale ringand ring some more. Why wasn't the answering machine picking up? "That's weird. The machine isn't picking up and there's no answer. I bet Buffy's out looking for me right now. What should I do?"

"Why don't you get some sleep and I'll keep trying to get through. If not, I'll leave a message at the Magic Box. How does that sound?"

"I guess that's okay. She's gonna be so pissed off at me, Giles too for that matter. They yelled at me about going through the portals. Guess I should listen, huh?"

Angel smiled. "Guess you should."

* * *

They sat on the bed, facing one another. William looked longingly into Buffy's eyes. Everything about this night had been unbelievable and now he was about to make love to the woman of his dreams. This wasn't going to be like that night they had brought a house down. That had just been about her needing to feel alive again. No, this was going to be him making love to her without any fears of her bolting from the room the minute they were done.

He leaned over to her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She shuddered in response. He pulled her onto his lap and began kissing her passionately. "I want you so much luv," he said breathlessly.

Buffy pulled back so that she could look him in the eyes, they were tender and full of love for her. She let her hands roam over his back and under his shirt, needing to touch his skin. How different it felt now, it was warm and full of life. She felt his hands explore her body and whimpered slightly when he cupped her breast in his hand. The need for flesh to touch more flesh became overwhelming. She pulled his shirt over his head and quickly discarded it. He was still as fit as he was before, maybe even more so.

William closed his eyes as Buffy ran her hands over his chest. When she began softly kissing his collarbone, he thought he was going to pass out. Her touch drove him crazy. Quickly, he undid the buttons of her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders as he had done earlier that night at her place. This time there would be no interruptions. In one smooth motion, he unhooked her bra and pulled it down her arms.

They laid back down on the bed so that their skin was touching, hot flesh against hot flesh. He kissed her neck and then moved down her body, gently taking her hard nipple in his hot mouth. He felt her body quiver. 

Colors were exploding behind her eyes as she let him relish her body. She couldn't help but grind her hips against his thighs. "Spike I need you now," she said between gasps of ecstasy.

In response to her request, he kissed her fervently on the lips and began removing her jeans. She could feel his need for her as well. Reaching down, she undid his belt, then the button and then finally the zipper. She pushed his pants down over his buttocks. Happily, she noticed that he hadn't changed all that much from vampire to human, he still didn't wear any under garments.

He broke the kiss only long enough to remove her jeans and then his. Slowly, he lowered himself to her. "I love you so much, Buffy."

Buffy could see the tears well up in his eyes. She could tell that this act of love meant more to him than just hearing her say the words. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him tenderly.

He returned the kiss as he slowly entered her. They both shuddered at the sensation of their joining. Soon their need for one another became overwhelming. Buffy grabbed onto the mattress on both sides of her and screamed in pleasure as their pace quickened. 

She was certain she was going to pass out as her orgasm washed over her. William held her tightly and matched his pace with her's until he could feel her starting to relax.

William felt his release draw closer. Buffy closed her eyes and he gently brushed his hand across her cheek, willing them open. She was so beautiful. She was looking at him, almost in awe. That was all it took to send him over the edge into pure bliss, consummating their love and passion for one another. He held her gently as their breathing calmed, and when their eyes met, she smiled. The tears that had threatened to fall subsided as she pulled him closer to her and stroked his hair. Through their lovemaking, they had exchanged silent promises of never ending love and devotion.

Buffy closed her eyes and smiled softly to herself. She had finally found what had been missing from her life.

* * *

Angel motioned for Dawn to follow him up the stairs. "Nice thing about this being an old hotel, I have plenty of space for guests."

"This seems like a pretty nice place, but isn't it lonely living here all by yourself?" She looked down the empty hallway and saw door after door. The place was huge!

As Angel was about to explain that he didn't live alone, a dark haired girl with a southern accent interrupted them as she popped her head out of one of the doors. "Angel? Is everything okay? I thought I heard voices"

"Everything is fine Fred. Fred, I'd like you to meet Buffy's sister."

"_The_ Buffy? As in 'love of your life' Buffy? She has a sister?"

Angel looked embarrassed as he nodded and stepped over to the side so that Fred could meet Dawn.

Fred's eyes widened as she recognized the girl.

Dawn's mouth dropped open. The portal: Fred was the woman she had seen through the portal when she was with Steven

Angel watched their reaction with curiosity. "Something wrong?"

"Angel. She's the one I saw with Connor!"

  



	9. Interrogation

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning: **These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Dawn refuses to answer Angel's questions while Buffy and William meet with some unexpected visitor  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "The Exchange"_

  
- 9 -  
Interrogation

A sense of urgency surrounded them in the hallway. Dawn backed up against the cream-colored wall. If she could have become one with the plaster, she would have, gladly. The girl with the southern accent recognized her from the portal. So many thoughts raced through her mindshe kept hearing this name, Connor. She had no idea who that was. Could it be Steven? No, it couldn't be. She looked nervously from Fred to Angel who was now staring at her intently. 

"Dawn, how do you know Connor?" Angel demanded as he grabbed her by her shoulders.

She tried to shake him free but his hold on her was strong. "Let go Angel! I don't know anyone named Connor!" 

Still holding onto Dawn, Angel whipped his head around and looked pleadingly at Fred. "Are you sure, Fred?"

Fred nodded her head. "Angel, you know I never forget a face."

He began shaking Dawn, not hard but not gently either. "Dawn you have to tell me. Where is Connor?"

"Angel I already told you! I don't know anyone named Connor!" She was becoming very frightened of him. The look in his eyes was overwhelming pain. She wished she could tell him what he needed to know, but she couldn't tell him what she didn't know. She closed her eyes and began thinking about Sunnydale, hoping a portal would open. Dawn felt the electricity flow through her but something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Angel dropped his hands as the electricity began to crackle and pop around the teen. He took a step back and pulled Fred behind him to protect her from whatever it was Buffy's sister was doing.

"Angel," Fred said softly putting her hand on Angel's shoulder, "You're scaring her. This isn't going to get Connor back."

Suddenly, Dawn slumped against the wall. She was exhausted. Why? Maybe she couldn't open more than one portal a day? Her head hurt, not to mention every inch of her body.

"I'm sorry," Angel said running to her and helping her to her feet. "It's just that we've been looking everywhere"

"Who is Connor?" Dawn asked weakly.

Realizing that no one from Sunnydale knew anything about his tryst with Darla, let alone his son, Angel just shook his head. "We'll talk about that later. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Dawn let Angel lead her into the room next to Fred's. "I'm sorry if you're missing someone you love. I wish I could help you." She collapsed on the bed and pulled the covers over herself.

"Thanks. If you need anything, just yell. Goodnight, Dawn."

"Goodnight, Angel." She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. All memories of school starting the next day were gone, along with her worries of contacting Buffy.

* * *

Buffy and William lay together in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She was resting against him with her head on his chest while he slowly ran his hand up and down her arm. He couldn't believe that she was still here with him; she hadn't gotten up and left immediately afterward. This had to be a dream it just had to be. How else could he explain it?

Buffy let her mind wander over the last hour. She never thought, in a million years, that this would happen. Feelings of safety, contentment and love washed through her. She felt complete, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Spike?" Buffy asked gently.

"Yes, luv?"

"Is this for real?"

He kissed the top of her head and held her close. "I was just asking myself the same thing."

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Sure can."

"What do you want me to call you? I mean, to me you're always going to be Spike, no matter what."

He looked down at her. She was lazily running her finger in circles on his chest. He thought about the answer for a moment and then, giving her head another kiss, responded. "Luv, I would rather you call me William. My mum gave me that name. It's a good name. Spike is a monster's name."

Buffy sat up quickly and looked him in the eyes. "You're not a monster Spike."

"But I was. What I did to you" He choked back the tears. Even now, he couldn't keep the images of that night from flooding his mind.

"Spike, listen to me, please. What happened that nightyou just tried to reach out to me. I shut you out and I shut myself down. I was scared"

He was about to say something, but she quieted him by brining her finger to his lips.

"Shhhhh. Just listen. I was scared of my feelings for you. What you tried to do was wrong. It was, but I knew you didn't mean it, not in that way, not after I saw the look in your eyes after I kicked you across the room. It took me a long time to come to that realization. I forgave you, almost immediately, but it took me longer to forgive myself for driving you to that point and for doing the things that I did to you."

He couldn't believe his ears. She was giving him absolution. "Pet, you didn't deserve that, not from me, not from anyone. I'm thankful that you're forgiving me." He said sitting up and pulling her to him tightly.

She smiled warmly at him and then got a twinkle in her eyes. "I'm so still calling you Spike, but promise me no more bleach. Ever."

He growled at her and she giggled. It was the first real laugh he had heard from her in a long time, and he was the cause of it. He pulled her down to him for a passionate kiss. Immediately, it turned to more.

* * *

Angel closed the door slowly after he turned off the light. He walked down the hall to where Fred was still standing, her arms folded across her chest.

"Angel, I know that was her with Connor."

"I'm sure you're right, Fred."

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "What if she doesn't know him by Connor? What if he goes by Steven there?"

Angel's face became dark at the thought. "Go get some sleep Fred. When Cordy gets here, I'll have her talk to Dawn. I'm sure she'll be able to get through to her."

"What are you thinking Angel?" She was concerned that his brooding mood was back. She understood that they needed to find Connor; after all, the boy did try to kill him.

"Say that he is going by Steven, say that Dawn knows him. Why is he in Sunnydale? Something had to lead him there. He wouldn't just go there."

Fred nodded her head in agreement; the boy had to have a reason. "I'm sure we'll figure it out in the morning Angel. Cordelia will talk to her and we'll find Connor."

"I hope you're right. Otherwise, I have this feeling that someone's going to get hurt." He looked over and caught Fred's gaze. He could tell that his friend was concerned for him. "I'm fine, Fred."

She glared at him.

"I am. Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning."

Reluctantly, Fred turned and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

Angel leaned up against the wall and hung his head. Good thing he didn't sleep at night, there's no way he could now even if he wanted to.

* * *

The phone at the Summers' house continued to ring off the hook. Angel looked at the phone intently. Where could Buffy be, especially at this hour and with her sister missing? Maybe she was still out looking for her. In that case, at some point, she would probably meet up with the others at the Magic Box. He would try there next. He pulled out his phone book and dialed the number. After a few rings, the machine picked up.

"Hello," a cheery female voice greeted him, "You have reached the Magic Box, the finest and most extensive magic shop in Sunnydale. If we don't have what you need, we'll get it for you! Our hours are Monday through Friday, nine a.m. until six p.m., unless we're out averting an apocalypse. Please call back during regular business hours or better yet, visit the shop and spend lots of money!"

Angel smiled to himself. He had heard quite a bit about the former vengeance demon and about her penchant for money. Nice message. As soon as the beep ended, he began leaving his own.

"Hithis is Angel. I just wanted to let Buffy know that Dawn is here with me, in L.A. I guess you guys are out looking for her. Well you can relax because she's safe and sound. She, uhm, opened a portal or something and then got stuck here. She's sleeping in one of the guest rooms right now and I'll bring her down tomorrow night. Give me a call to let me know you got this message. Bye."

He hung up the phone and stared at it. Did he just sound like a fool? Why did he always seem to get all worked up whenever he thought about Buffy? His thoughts drifted to Cordelia. How was he going to explain his relationship with one of Buffy's not-so-close friends, especially after he had given Buffy the excuse that he was leaving because he wanted her to have a normal life? He knew that Riley had left her, she had told him that herself. It was right before her mother had passed away. But he hadn't heard a thing about any new men in her life; so telling her about Cordelia was going to be even harder. He wouldn't be at all surprised if she tried to stake him afterwards.

Oh well. He knew he was going to have to tell her at some point, about everything, so it was going to be a little sooner than he had anticipated. He sighed. This was going to be one hell of a trip.

* * *

Buffy stood in the desert feeling sand beneath her bare feet. The sun was shinning brightly and a slight breeze was blowing. She was dressed in a white flowing tunic, same as in her previous dreams. Instead of walking alone, she was walking hand in hand with William. They were both silent as they wandered the dunes, not really knowing what they were searching for but knowing that they had to be somewhere important. Suddenly, Joyce appeared before them.

"Mom!" Buffy cried as she ran towards her.

William stayed back to let the mother and daughter have their reunion.

"Buffy sweetheart! It's so good to see you!" Joyce threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly.

"Mom what are you doing here?"

She ignored Buffy's question and turned her attention to her daughter's companion. "Hello William," Joyce said with a bright smile as she motioned for him to come over to her.

William walked over to Joyce and let her hug him.

"It's so good to see you two together. I'm so proud of you Buffy"

"Don't be proud of me mom. I've lost Dawn" Buffy's tears began to stream down her face.

"Shhhhh," Joyce comforted, "Dawn is fine. She's with Angel in L.A."

"With Angel? How?"

"Buffy, I don't have much time. Just know that she is safe. You have bigger problems to deal with now. You must listen to me carefully."

Buffy nodded as she pulled William's arms around her.

"You already know who is coming, don't you?"

"Yes. The Master."

Joyce closed her eyes and nodded, then continued. "Buffy he's going to be stronger than anything you've ever faced, maybe even Glory. The Last Judgment is coming. Once that happens, he's going to be virtually indestructible; but you must have faith. You can defeat him, but it will take everything you and the others have to do it."

"Do you know how we can defeat him?" William asked.

"I have to go! Take care of my Buffy for me William! I love you sweetheart!"

"Mom! No!" Buffy yelled, as she reached out to grab her mother's arm, but it was too late. Joyce had disappeared.

Their surroundings suddenly changed. They were back in the cave and the Master was waiting for them in the shadows.

A voice from behind startled them. "Come to visit me, have you? Ah, killing you the second time is going to be such sweet victory."

William pulled Buffy to him. "You'll never touch her, not with me around."

The Master laughed at him, but soon the laughing stopped and the Master took on a serious tone. "I know you, don't I?"

William shook his head.

"I do. I'm sure of it," he said, springing out of the shadows and grabbing William's shoulders.

"Buffy run!"

"Spike," he hissed. "It's you! Welcome back to the order!" The master tilted William's head and began to feed from him.

"Spike! No!" Buffy screamed as she saw the fear in her lover's eyes. She ran forward but tripped over something on the ground. The world went dark.

* * *

Both Buffy and William woke up with a start, breathing rapidly. Buffy sat bolt upright as the first rays of morning light were peaking through the window. She looked over her shoulder at him, to make sure that it was just a dream. Her cheeks were tear-stained and she was shaking. William sat up next to her; a look of confusion, mixed with pain, covered his face. He pulled her close, realizing they had just shared the same vision. She went limp in his arms. He could feel the wetness of her tears against his chest. 

"Luv, it's okay. I'm here," he soothed, trying to calm her as much as himself. "I'm never leaving you. I promise."


	10. Morning After

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
__**Summary:** Buffy and William face a new challenge while Dawn settles in at the Hyperion  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Interrogation" _

  
- 10 -  
Morning After

Anya and Xander arrived at the Magic Box about an hour before it was to open. They hadn't heard from Buffy or William since they had left them the night before.

"They did say to meet here first thing in the morning, right?" Xander questioned with a perplexed look. All was quiet.

"Maybe they left a message on the machine," Anya said optimistically. "I'll go check. In the meantime Xander, while you're here, go bring up a box of crystal balls from the basement. For some reason, they're selling like hotcakes!" She patted his shoulder and smiled broadly as she made her way over to the answering machine.

Xander stood staring at her. She never ceased to amaze him. No 'please'. No 'thank you'. Nothing. He shook his head and made his way to the basement door. The voice on the machine snapped him out of his seething.

Turning quickly to go to where his girlfriend was standing, he asked, "Is that who I think it is?"

"It's Angel all right," she said nodding her head. "He says Dawn is with him in L.A."

"How did Dawnster get there?"

"Angel said something about a portal. We should call Buffy."

"I'll call her," he said, as he picked up the phone. He dialed Buffy's number and waited for her to pick up. Nothing. "That's odd. There's no answer. She did say she was gonna go home, right?"

"I thought so. Are you sure you dialed the right number, sweetie?"

"An, I've known Buffy for over six years now. I think I'd know her home phone number by heart."

"Better try again," she patronized. "Just in case." She flashed him a bright smile and walked into the office to get the mornings receipts ready.

As he started to redial Buffy's number, Cecily arrived at the shop.

"Good morning, Xander. Is Anya in the office?" She knew that Xander didn't like her, but by being sweet and kind to him, she knew she'd get on his nerves even more.

"Yeah." He continued with the phone call and then swore under his breath.

"What's wrong? The next victim you're getting ready to jilt not answering?"

He glared at her. "You know something...? I though that it was just being a demon that made you ugly as hell... all those veins..."

Her face reddened. "If I was still a demon you'd never be saying these things"

"Well you're not a demon anymore, lucky for the world." Trying to keep his anger in check, he said, "If you must know, I'm trying to get a hold of Buffy to let her know that Dawn's okay"

"What do you mean Dawn's okay? There was a problem? What's wrong? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Calm down Child Avenger. Dawn's fine. She went through a portal and got stuck there. She's with Angel in L.A. and I just wanted to make sure Buffy knew so that she wasn't going out of her mind with worry. She's probably been up all night looking for her."

"Does William know?" Cecily asked growing more concerned.

"Yes. He was out helping us last night."

"Give me the phone. I'll call him and let him know. I'm sure he's really upset, he loves that girl like his own."

Xander handed the phone to the ex-demon and rolled his eyes. "A bit obsessed with the scourge of Europe are you?"

"Former, and yes I am. Not that it's any of your business. William and I are in love. Now bugger off while I give him the news."

Xander threw his hands in the air and walked away. Women.

* * *

After their shared dream, Buffy and William lay on the bed holding one another. They both drifted off into a deep sleep knowing that Dawn was safe. William was the first to wake when the buzzer on the alarm began its chant.

"Bloody hell! Sodding alarm clock." He turned the alarm off and pushed it off his nightstand with a loud crash. If there was one thing he truly hated as a human, it was the bleeding alarm clockoh, and maybe having to live by the laws of man.

Buffy stretched and rolled over. "What time is it?" She asked sighing contentedly.

He snuggled up next to her and pulled her close. "Time enough for a bit more shagging."

"We should get to the Magic Box, let the others know that Dawn's okay."

"There's plenty of time for that later. Right now, you and me are gonna make up for some lost time of our own." He smiled mischievously at her.

She tousled his already messed sandy brown curls and then kissed him passionately. He's right, she thought, there's always plenty of time for this.

* * *

Dawn woke up in a room she neither recognized nor felt completely comfortable in. At first she was groggy and couldn't remember where she was, then it all started coming back to her. She was in L.A., with Angel. As she sat up in bed taking in her surroundings, she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Dawn called out. Dawn recognized the girl instantly. Her hair was a lot shorter and a lot blonder than she remembered, but there was no doubt about it. It was Cordelia Chase.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Cordelia said, as she sat down on the edge of Dawn's bed. "I hear you've had quite a night."

"Uhhi Cordelia. Yeah, I guess you could say that." Dawn considered the young woman in front of her. There was something different about her, something that she just couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Wow! You've really grown up! Last time I saw you, you wereoh wait, I've never seen you before, have I?"

Dawn shook her head and pulled the covers tighter to her chest.

"It's okay, Dawn. No one's going to hurt you. I have to apologize for Angel's behavior last night. When it comes to Connor," she said lowering her voice, "he goes a little crazy sometimes."

Dawn stared at Cordelia. What is it with this Connor guy? "UhmCordelia? Who's Connor?"

"Oh! You don't know?"

Dawn shook her head in response. "I keep hearing his name, but I have no idea who it is."

Cordelia studied the teen closely. She could tell that Dawn was telling the truth. "I think I'll let Angel have the pleasure of telling you that one. In the meantime, is there anything you need? I think you and Fred might be the same height and stuff, I'm sure she'd let you borrow some clothes if you want."

"Sure. I guess I can't go walking around in my pajamas all day."

"Great. I'll get you some breakfast and then we can catch up on girl talk. I can't wait to hear about Sunnydale!" She eased herself off the bed and walked to the door. Angel was going to have a lot of explaining to do!

* * *

"What's wrong Cecily?" Anya asked, noticing the frown on her friend's face. 

"William's line is busy. I thought he had call waiting. Oh well. I'll try back in a few minutes." She then began to busy herself with morning chores.

"He's probably on the phone with the Council or something."

"Either that or he's running as fast and as far away from you as possible," Xander said under his breath. He had to admit, he didn't like the guy, but he hoped that Spike knew what he was getting himself into by dating a former vengeance demon.

Anya paused giving her boyfriend a harsh glare, then added, "Being a watcher is a big thing, you know."

"Yes it is. I'm so proud of my William." Cecily beamed.

"Oh Cecily, I'm so happy for you!" Anya ran over to her friend and gave her a hug. "So, has he asked you to marry him yet?"

Cecily was shocked. "My heavens! No! We've only been dating for two weeks Anyanka. That's hardly enough time for a proper courtship!"

"Yes but you've been in love for over a century!"

"I have been, yes, but William has had other loves in the meantime. There was Drusillaand Buffy." Her eyes lowered and she glowered as she mentioned Buffy's name.

"Drusilla was his sire. There's some kind of icky bond there, and as for Buffy, that was just sex. Although, come to think of it, maybe he did have feelings for her. He did come here looking for a spell to make his pain go away the night that he and I had sex."

Xander groaned. He had been trying, unsuccessfully, to rid his mind of the sex image for months. Now he was going to have to deal with a whole bout of fresh imagery. "Anya. Please. Can we just not talk about that?"

Anya rolled her eyes. "If you hadn't left me at the altar, Spike and I wouldn't have had sex. It happened. Get over it."

During the lovers' exchange, Cecily had gone back over to the phone to try William again. "The line is still busy."

"Don't worry. He'll be here soon enough. Why don't you help me with unpacking some of the new inventory?"

Cecily smiled slightly and followed Anya into the back while Xander left for coffee and donuts.

* * *

"Angel," Cordelia started, "that girl up there doesn't know anything about a guy named Connor, and until you get up there and explain the whole situation to her, you're not going to get any answers!" 

"You want me to tell her _everything_?" Angel asked incredulously.

Cordelia bit her bottom lip. He had a point. "Well, maybe not everything, but you definitely have to tell her about Connor."

He sighed heavily. This was not going to be easy. Dawn was just as emotional as her sister, maybe even more so. She had hated him for leaving Buffy and now she was going to hate him even more after their talk. "Think I should wear some armor?"

Cordelia scowled at him, raised her arm and pointed up the stairs. "Don't be such a baby. Go. Now."

"Hey everyone," Gunn said, as he entered the hotel. "Hey baby." He walked over and put his arm around Fred and gave her a quick kiss. "What's up?"

"We have a house guest," Fred said with a hint of concern.

"Oh yeah, who?" Gunn asked with a frown.

Fred turned to Gunn and asked, "Remember that girl that was with Connor the other night?"

"Yeah? Oh! She's the guest? How? Who is she?"

"She's Buffy's sister," Cordelia stated, as she walked over to the computer to check e-mail.

Gunn's eyes widened. "_The_ Buffy?"

"Yes," Angel said with a sigh. What was it with these people? They made Buffy sound like some bigger than life myth or something. "Dawn is upstairs right now in the room next to Fred's."

"So she told you about Connor then?" Gunn questioned.

Fred replied. "No. She doesn't know a Connor"

"But that was him in that portal thing, right? Wasn't just my eyes playing tricks on me."

"Chances are he might be going by Steven," Angel stated. "I was just going to head up and tell her who Connor was."

Gunn noted the quick look of hesitation on Angel's face. No way he would trade places with him at this moment in time. "Good luck, dude. Think you might need back up?"

"He'll be fine," Cordelia chastised. "Now get moving Angel."

* * *

"Come on luv," William called from the front door. "Let's get a move on shall we?"

"Hey," Buffy replied with a stern look. "You're the one that wanted to try something new in the shower."

William wiggled his eyebrows and grinned mischievously. "You look better in that sweatshirt than I do. I think you should keep it, or" he said eyeing her nervously, "you could start keeping some of your things here?"

Buffy paused as they walked down the street towards the Magic Box. "Don't take this the wrong way Spike, but this staying the night at your place, probably a one time only deal. Remember? Me of the guardian position?"

He winced. "Oh, yeah. Sorry luv almost forgot. All that late night activity must have gone to my brain."

She swatted him on the arm playfully. This was nice. Walking. Bantering. Holding hands. In the daylight no less! She most definitely could get used to this. Nothing could ruin this day.

William held open the door to the shop for her. They walked in giggling like two school children.

"Hey Buff," Xander called from the table. Then nodded towards the watcher. "William."

"Harris."

Anya waved from behind the cash register. "Good morning Buffy. You look happy today!"

Buffy looked at William, who nodded his head. She turned back to her friends and said, "There's something I want to tell you"

At the sound of William's voice, Cecily came running out of the back room and threw her arms around the man. "William! Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you for the last hour!" She planted a kiss on his lips and smiled brightly.

William and Buffy were both stunned. Neither one of them had even given a second thought to Cecily.


	11. Hidden Agendas

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List: **http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:**  Wesley and Gavin square off while Buffy and William face an uncomfortable situation  
**Timeframe:**  Immediately following Morning After_  
  


- 11 -  
Hidden Agendas

Behind the tinted windows of the office building across the street from the Magic Box, Gavin Park observed the slayer and her watcher enter the shop.  He noticed that the attitude between the two had changed drastically from what he had observed yesterday. He checked the time on his watch and entered it on a notepad along with a few words.  Wolfram and Hart was still unclear as to the identity of the new watcher, but they had a few ideas of who it could be.  The options were amazing if any were true.  He walked over to his desk and sat down.  As he was about to have his secretary place a call for him, her voice came over the intercom.

Mr. Park, you asked me to let you know when Mr. Wyndham-Pryce arrived.  He just went into his office, sir.

Thank you, Ms. Blackwell, Gavin stated with a scowl.  He stood up, grabbed the packet of pictures, and headed towards Wesley's office.  There was no way he was going to allow Wesley to get away with this, not on his watch.

Wesley was sitting quietly at his desk sifting through several prophecies when Gavin barged into his office.  He glanced up at the man who had just intruded and then back at his paperwork, barely even registering the man's presence.

Care to explain these?  Gavin growled as he threw the pictures on Wesley's desk.

Oh look, pretty pictures, and they're of me, at my house.  How charming.  Is there something I can help you with Gavin?

Gavin's face colored and his jaw clenched.  When were you going to tell me you had the boy?  He demanded as he pounded Wesley's desk with his fist.

Without flinching, Wesley gave Gavin a cold glare.  I suppose you wanted me to call you at three in the morning to tell you I had a house guest?

Yes.  That's proper procedure Mr. Wyndham-Pryce!

Yes, well.  I've never really been one for procedures.  I was back in the day, but I found it to be all very

Where is he now?  Gavin challenged.

I sent him off to school.

You what!  Gavin exclaimed.  You sent him off to school?  Are you an idiot?

I assure you I'm no idiot, Mr. Park.  I thought it prudent that the child attend school to keep up appearances.  If this is a problem, I can go over there now and escort the boy here.  Would that be better?

Gavin clenched his fists and breathed deeply.  He glowered at Wesley, but said nothing.

I thought not.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.  Good day, Gavin.  He looked back down at the prophecy he was translating and waited for the man to leave his office.

Spinning on his heels, Gavin left Wesley's office in a huff.  Get Ms. Morgan on the phone.  Now!  He seethed as he passed his secretary's desk.  He walked into his office and slammed the door.  It had to be her doing, but that was fine; he knew how to deal with her kind. 

* * *

Dawn was looking out the window, admiring the view, when a knock came at the door.  Come in, Dawn said unenthusiastically.

Hi Dawn, Fred smiled.  I've brought a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that you might be able to wear.  Or if they don't fit you, I'm sure we can go through my closet and find something else.

They'll be fine.  Thanks.  Dawn smiled slightly at the girl but didn't offer any other words.

I'll just leave them on the bed then.  You know, you can come downstairs and hang out with us if you want.  You don't have to stay up here all by your lonesome.  We don't bite.  I guess that's not really true though, because Angel, he does bite, technically.  I just mean

Thanks.  Maybe I will.  At this point, Dawn just wanted the girl to leave her alone.  Cordelia said that Angel would be up to talk to me soon.  Is he coming or not?

Fred finally sensed the tension in Dawn's voice.  Angel got called away on business

He's out on business in the daylight?  Dawn demanded.  Something felt strange about that.

Well, yeah.  He goes through the sewers and tunnels.  Gunn went ahead of him in the truck.  Happens just about everyday.

I see.  Who's Gunn?

Gunn is part of the team.  He used to fight vampires with a gang and joined Angel after his sister was killed by one.

Is Connor part of the team?

Fred was stunned by the teen's question.  Uhm.  Not really.  He was justhe's just someone Angel cares for, that's all.  She hoped that Dawn couldn't sense her hesitation in answering the question.

Why is it that it seems that everyone wants to know if I know this Connor, yet they won't even tell me who he is?  What's the big secret?

Fred stuttered.

Hey Dawn, Cordelia said as she came in the room to rescue an MIA Fred.  Feel like a shopping trip?

* * *

Buffy stood in front of William, shocked to say the least, at the display of affection that Cecily was showering on the man.  With everything that had occurred the night before, she hadn't even thought about the impact that their relationship might have on the ex-vengeance demon.  Lucky for them that Cecily was an ex-demon because Buffy knew things weren't going to go over well.  She could tell that William was very uncomfortable since he was blushing deeply and trying his best to push the woman away, but it was to no avail.  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she cleared her throat.

Oh Buffy, Cecily said blushing, I'm sorry.  I didn't see you there!

Buffy smiled.  I bet you didn't.

Cecily just smiled and put her arms around William.

Darling, where have you been?  Your phone is busy and I wanted to tell you about Dawn!

What about Dawn?  Buffy asked with concern.

Don't you know?  Xander asked.  I've been trying to reach you all morning at home but the machine never picked up.

Oh.  Well I She looked at William with wide eyes.

Buffy stayed the night at my place He could feel Cecily's body stiffen next to him.  This was not going to be pretty.

It was just that it was closer and I was really tired from looking for Dawn

Buffy, there's a message on the machine for you, Anya stated.

From who?  Buffy questioned.

From Angel, Anya replied.

Oh!  It's probably about Dawn being there

Xander studied his friend closely.  It seemed like she was keeping something from them.  How did you know Dawn was there?  I mean, obviously she couldn't reach you at home

Bit called my place last night to let me know, Spike said covering for Buffy.

Yeah.  That's how it went down.  I should probably give her a call and make sure she's doing better this morning.  Buffy walked quickly to the office to call Dawn at the Hyperion.   How in the world were they going to explain this to everyone?

Cecily grabbed William's hand and tugged him towards the table.  Darling, I was thinking, maybe we could go away for the weekend.  Just the two of usnice little place in the country.  What do you think?

Uhm.  Pet, I'm not sure that's going to be possible.  I have my watcher duties

I'm sure you can take one weekend off, Anya said patting him on the back.  Giles used to do it all the time.

Thanks Anya, William sighed.  We'll talk about it later, alright?  Right now I need to study part of the prophecy that Giles left with me, okay?

Cecily felt deflated.  She had been sure that he would have jumped at the chance to go to the country with her.  she whispered.  She watched him go into the office.  Something seemed different about him today.

* * *

A giddy Cordelia and Dawn returned to the hotel sometime after noon with bags in hand.  Dawn had enjoyed her shopping trip, even though it had been with Queen C'.  She was really starting to like Cordelia, it seemed like she had really grown up a lot since moving to L.A.  While at the mall, they talked about Sunnydale but Dawn made sure that she didn't discuss Steven.  She had been vague when Cordelia had asked if she had a boyfriend now.  

Dawn, your sister called, Fred stated as the teen sat down on one of the couches.

Dawn cringed.  Did she sound angry?

No, not at all.  She sounded relieved that you were okay.  I told her that you were out shopping with Cordelia and that you would call her back when you got in.

Thanks.  Is Angel back yet?

Cordelia and Fred exchanged glances, which didn't go unnoticed by Dawn.

Okay.  I'm tired of you guys treating me like some kid.  All I want to know is why Angel wigged out on me last night and who this Connor guy is.  I don't see what the big deal is!  She was angry now.  She folded her arms across her chest and glared at the two women.  I want to talk to Angel.  Now.

Good afternoon one and all, a voice from the front doors called suddenly.

Fred exclaimed as she ran over to the demon to give him a hug.

How was Las Vegas, Lorne?  Cordelia asked with a smile.

It was fantabulous!  But it just wasn't what I expected.  There's really not a large selection of clientele there.  You'd think a place called Sin City' would be teeming with demons and such.

Standing off to the side, Dawn's anger continued to swell since her presence had been completely forgotten with the arrival of the demon.  Quietly seething, she studied the green creature with red horns and eyes.  Finally, trying to regain attention to herself, she coughed loudly.

And just who is this precious little pouter?  Lorne asked walking towards Dawn.

Cordelia walked over to Dawn and put her arm around the teen.  Lorne, this is Dawn.  Dawn this is Lorne.

Before Lorne could shake Dawn's hand, Fred added, She's Buffy's sister.

_The_ Buffy?  He asked in amazement after looking at Cordelia for confirmation.

Why does everyone say that when they hear Buffy's name?  Dawn demanded.

Your sister is a bit of a legend around here, Lorne stated cheerily.

Among other things, Cordelia added under her breath.

Lorne shot her a look that said not now'.  So tell me Dawn, what brings you to the City of Angels?

Dawn looked at Cordelia.  It's okay Dawn.  Lorne's one of us.  Your secret is safe here.

Lorne put his arm around Dawn and led her to one of the couches.  Tell Uncle Lorne everything about yourself.  Wanna sing a little song for me?

  Dawn questioned with a puzzled look.

Cordelia warned, shaking her head.

Okay.  No songs yet.  Just spill girlfriend.  He gave Dawn a warm smile that put the teen totally at ease.

Dawn started, It's a pretty long story

I have a lot of time, Lorne replied.

* * *

Cecily had been hovering around William constantly all morning and even managed to whisk him off to lunch with her.  Understandably, Buffy was upset that William had agreed to go, but realized that now was probably not the best of times to be sharing the fact that they had reunited.  Finally, after hours of stolen glances and light touches, the two finally found some time alone together later that afternoon in training.

Anya, Buffy and I are going to train in the back.  Please make sure we're not disturbed.  His request was not out of the ordinary.  Often times Giles would ask the same thing.

Anya had been busy with a customer and had only nodded her answer in return.

Need any help with that?  Xander had asked the watcher.

Nope.  I think the Slayer and I can manage.  The last thing he wanted was for Xander to accompany him to the back room.

The tension in the training room was thick enough to cut through.  They had both changed into workout clothing and were half an hour into their training session when William suggested that Buffy stop working out with the bag and start working out on him.

I don't want to hurt you William, Buffy hesitated.

Don't worry about that, pet.  I can hold my own.  Just show me what you've got.

She eyed him warily but as soon as he gave her the patented cocky smile, she flew at him.

William was ready for her tackle and held his ground easily.  He blocked several of her kicks and then landed one of his own to her chest.  Buffy went down hard.

Wanna tell me how you did that?

He shook his head.  Not yet, luv.  He then signaled for her to come at him again.

This time Buffy landed a punch that sent William sprawling to the floor.  I'm sorry!  Are you okay?  She ran to his side to make sure that she hadn't broken anything.

As soon as she leaned over him, he reached up and pulled her down to the floor.  What do you think?  He asked suggestively with a raised eyebrow.

I think you have a lot of explaining to do, like where you got this kind of strength.  She allowed him to pull her closer so that they were face to face.

I'll tell you after

After what?

After this He said pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Neither had noticed that the training room door had opened, nor had they noticed Cecily standing in the doorway watching.


	12. Ramifications

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning: **These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Buffy and William's secret is uncovered while Lorne discovers a few things about Dawn  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Hidden Agendas"_

  
- 12 -  
Ramifications

Lorne and Dawn were about two hours into their conversation when Gunn and Angel finally arrived back from their mission. Both were dripping in demon guts and other gooey type substances.

"Ugh," Fred exclaimed, "What's that awful smell?"

"I'm pretty sure it's us," Gunn replied. "Big man over there decided that the two of us could take on a Goethe demon alone."

"Well we killed him didn't we?" Angel asked with a sheepish smile.

"After we took a beating first. We had to hack this thing up into small pieces"

"And then we had to dispose of it in the waste water facility."

"Hence the smell." Gunn sniffed himself and wrinkled up his nose.

Cordelia came out of Wesley's old office, covering her mouth with her hand. "You two hit the showers! You're getting goop all over the clean floor and you smell nasty! Move it!"

"Like you have to tell me twice," Gunn muttered as he dragged himself into the back rooms for his shower.

Angel walked over to Cordelia and tried to pull her into an embrace. "What? Don't you think this could be?"

Cordelia backed away from Angel, giving him a warning glance.

He turned around to see Dawn and Lorne sitting on one of the couches, he wasn't sure why he hadn't noticed them before. "Hey Lorne. How was Vegas?"

"Hi sweetcheeks. I'd come over there and give you a hug but I just had this suit dry cleaned. Vegas was great but it's nice to be back home."

Angel then turned to Dawn. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up and then we can have that talk, okay?"

Dawn nodded her head. She had a lot of questions for him now, especially about the little interaction between him and Cordelia that she just witnessed. "That's fine. I think we have a lot to discuss."

"Yeah." Angel agreed as he climbed the stairs and disappeared down the hall.

"So my little green blob of energy," Lorne said trying to get the girl's attention back to their talk.

Dawn looked at him in surprise. "How did you?"

"You'd be amazed. I know a lot of things. Ready to sing for me yet?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why don't you try it and find out," Lorne said grinning.

* * *

The limousine pulled up to the curb in front of the Wolfram and Hart offices in Sunnydale. Gavin watched from his office window as Lilah emerged from the car. He should have known she was on her way her when Ms. Blackwell couldn't reach her at the Los Angeles office. He was willing to wage money that Lilah was here to see Wesley. Determined that he wasn't going to let the two of them play him, he picked up his packet of information on Lilah and started for Wesley's office. Just before he reached the door, the direct line to the senior partners buzzed loudly. Gavin grinned and returned to his desk to take the call.

Wesley sat at his desk, deep in thought. Things were going well for him here at Wolfram and Hart. He had a corner office with plush furniture and everything he needed was at his fingertips. The work was challenging and intriguing, something that he hadn't gotten enough of at Angel Investigations. He sat up in his chair when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Lilah sauntered into his office with a grin plastered across her face. She closed the door and locked it without saying a word. "Good afternoon, Wesley," she cooed at him.

"Lilah," he stated in a subdued manner. "What brings you to Sunnydale? As if I didn't already know"

"I told you last night that I was going to thank you properly for delivering the boy. Didn't you think I would make good on my promise?" She ran her finger seductively over the leather of the visitor chair while giving him a small pout.

"I see." He continued to sit in his chair as she moved behind him to massage his shoulders.

She spun his chair around and crawled into his lap, gently kissing his neck and nibbling on his ears.

Wesley made no move to encourage or discourage her advances. He closed his eyes and let her take control.

The two were startled when a knock came at the door.

Wesley cleared his throat. "Who's there?"

"Mr. Pryce? It's me, Connor."

Lilah and Wesley exchanged surprised glances. Wesley practically threw Lilah down to the floor as he quickly stood up. "Make yourself presentable before I open that door," he demanded. "Be right with you Connor."

Lilah smirked at him but did as she was told.

After he made sure that Lilah looked respectable, Wesley opened the door and let the teen come inside.

* * *

They had managed to keep their sexual tension in check since the earlier kiss and were now working on Buffy's reflexes.

"You know, we should probably tell them," Buffy stated as she kicked another knife to the side.

"You're right," William grunted as he threw a dagger at her head.

After successfully stopping the dagger between both hands, she tossed it to the floor and continued. "I mean, we're going to be spending a lot of time together, specifically night time. If we don't tell them, it's going to look really suspicious."

William studied the new dagger intently, contemplating the ramifications of them being a couple. "I should talk to Cecily first," he sighed. It would be hard, but it needed to be done. He just couldn't continue leading her on, she deserved better.

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. Go get cleaned up. I think we've worked hard enough today."

Buffy walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Let her down easy."

"Luv, I don't think there's going to be anything easy about this."

"I know. I'll go shower first."

His emotions were all over the place as he watched her walk off towards the bathroom. How could he be so happy and so sad at the same time?

* * *

"Xander?" Anya asked as she squeezed his arm. "Would you go downstairs and find me a box of key chains?"

"Key chains? Since when do we have?" He trailed off as she glared at him and then nodded towards Cecily. "Oh. _Those_ key chains. Sure. No problem." Grabbing his comic book, he headed down to the basement.

"Cecily?" Anya asked walking up behind her friend. "Is something wrong?" Cecily turned around and Anya noticed the woman's tears. "Oh Cecily, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sniffed. "I just thought William would want to go with me to the country." It was a lie. She had seen them, the two of them, in the back room, doing everything but training.

"Oh sweetie. I'm sure he will later. He's pretty new to this whole watcher thing. I'm sure it's nothing personal." Anya put her arm around her friend and gave her a small squeeze.

William walked out of the backroom and looked at Cecily. Suddenly he went cold. "Is everything okay pet?" He asked walking over to her.

"Everything is fine William," she replied without looking at him.

He frowned. "Anya luv, would you give us a few minutes please?"

Sensing that the two needed to talk, she moved towards the basement door. "Sure. I'll just help Xander with the key chains in the basement."

After Anya was gone, William took Cecily by the hand and sat her down in one of the overstuffed chairs in the corner. "I think we need to talk," he began as he kneeled in front of her.

She glared at him with ice-cold eyes. "I saw you," she hissed. "The two of you... I saw everything."

He didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry. That's not the way I wanted you to know" He looked at her pleadingly, trying to make her understand that he hadn't meant to hurt her.

"I love you William and this is how you repay that love? By sneaking around with thatungrateful bitch? I should have known"

His eyes narrowed and his cheeks flushed with anger. "Now see here! You're talking about the woman that I love! Look at me," he demanded as he cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes. "I'm in love with Buffy. I always have been. I tried to convince myself otherwise but I just couldn't fight it. I'm sorry that I hurt you"

"You're sorry?" She asked incredulously. "Well, it's too late for sorry. The damage is done!"

He fell backwards as she abruptly stood up and pushed him over. "Cecily, please listen to me," he begged. "I'm sorry"

"Stop," she yelled spinning around to face him. "I became a vengeance demon because of you," she cried.

"And I became a vampire because of you!"

She stared daggers at him. How dare he make her the reason he became a vampire! Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Buffy standing quietly watching. "I may not be a vengeance demon any longer, but make no mistake about it William I will have my vengeance!" With that she stormed out the front door leaving a very contrite William sitting on the floor.

* * *

"Hello Connor. What brings you by this afternoon? How was school?" Wesley asked showing Steven to one of the visitor chairs.

"It was too confining," he stated with a grimace. "Must I continue to attend?"

"I'm afraid so," Wesley replied. "All teenagers your age are required and we don't want to draw attention to ourselves, now do we?"

Connor shook his head. He hadn't thought of it that way. "I just wanted to let you know Dawn wasn't in school today."

Wesley and Lilah exchanged puzzled glances. "Are you quite certain?" Wesley inquired.

"Yeah. I looked for her everywhere and I asked her friend Janice if she had seen her. She hadn't."

"Well that's odd," Lilah said with a frown. "You would think Buffy would ensure Dawn's attendance, especially since social services keeps breathing down her neck."

"And I couldn't imagine why they would be doing that," Wesley stated dryly.

Lilah grinned at him.

"Connor, do you have any idea where Dawn might be?" He asked the teen.

"No. But I can try to find out from her sister if you want."

"No," Wesley snapped. "That won't be necessary. We'll find Dawn soon enough." He stood for a moment in deep thought and then nodded at Lilah.

"Connor, forgive Mr. Pryce for not introducing me. I'm Lilah Morgan," she said extending her hand to the boy. He made no move to shake it. Lilah smiled and continued. "I'm so glad that you agreed to work with us. As soon as Buffy is out of the way we will make sure that you and Dawn are well taken care of."

Steven studied the woman before him. He didn't like her, something felt off about her. "How do I know you're telling the truth, that Dawn won't be hurt?"

"Because she is more important to us alive. I promise you."

He nodded, still not trusting her. "Fine. When do you want me to go after Buffy?"

"Tonight," Lilah stated.

The boy looked at Wesley for confirmation. Wesley nodded his head. "Consider it done," he said as he stood up to leave.

* * *

Angel answered the door as he towel dried his hair. The green demon before him looked upset. "Hey Lorne. What's up?"

"Angel, you've got to tell her what's going on," Lorne said, concern coating his voice. "That's one powerful little girl sitting downstairs. I wouldn't want to piss her off too much."

Angel snorted at Lorne's comment. "I think you're overreacting just a bit, don't you? She's only a teenager"

"That's where you're wrong. She's older than anything you've ever faced. Hell, I think she's even older than existence itself. You better tell her about Connor, the sooner the better."

"Or what?" Angel questioned still not understanding the urgency in Lorne's voice.

"Or you're going to have one very pissed off ball of energy coming at you."

Angel stared at Lorne. "I guess I'll go talk to her now"

"You do that. Make sure you tell her everything. You have no idea what you're dealing withshe only sang a little ditty for me and my head felt like it was going to explode."

"I'll go now. Any suggestions about how I explain Connor's existence?"

"I think she knows all about the birds and the bees sweetcheeks."

Angel pulled his shirt on and ran his fingers through his hair. He knew this was going to be the toughest, no, make that the second toughest thing he was going to have to do that day. The first toughest was telling Buffy.

* * *

Buffy walked over to William and sat down beside him on the floor. As soon as she saw the tears well up in his eyes, she pulled him close to her and rocked him gently. She knew this was going to be hard on him, especially since she knew there was a part of William that was always going to love Cecily, until the day he died. Just like there was a part of Spike that would always love Drusilla. She supposed the same was true for her and Angel as well. No matter what happened in life, and how much time had passed, there would always be that little part of them that had feelings for their first loves.

William let Buffy comfort him. This was so different from what had transpired between the two lovers less than a year ago. He had always been the one comforting her, her touchstone. Now she was there for him. After looking into her green eyes, seeking reassurance that he had done the right thing, he realized that he had and kissed her passionately.

"Excuse me? Hello? You two want to share what's going on here?" Xander demanded, standing in front of them with a horrified look on his face.

William and Buffy both looked at Xander with wide eyes and then looked at each other.  



	13. In the Shadows

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating: **PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Buffy and William stand their ground while Willow and Tara head to London  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Ramifications"_

  
- 13 -  
In the Shadows

The deep purple sky was streaked with hues of yellow and red as the last traces of daylight disappeared rapidly behind the trees in the forest. The Master paced back and forth deep within the cave, waiting for the sun to completely diminish. He could feel the Last Judgment coming ever closer. Two of his best minions sat quietly on the dirt floor, awaiting his bidding. Tonight he would have them seek out those who had imprisoned him. Tonight they would pay for their betrayal. He had plans; plans that would set into motion the Drawing of the Twelve. He sensed that half of them had already arrived in Sunnydale but one had left, disappeared from his inner line of sight. Despite knowing that one had gone, he still had confidence that she would return to her place of destiny soon enough.

He sat down on the makeshift throne that his minions had built for him and closed his eyes. He imagined what the world would be like when the Last Judgment arrivedthe darkness, the chaos, the burning and the pain. Yes, the pain, especially the pain. In his mind's eye he saw himself defeating all twelve of them, one by one, savoring every moment of their pain and their loss, absorbing their powers. The Slayer would be last, of that he was certain. His thoughts of destruction were interrupted by a voice in the shadows, a voice that was at once melodious and grating.

"Master," the voice said sadly, "I'm quite certain that it's Spike that you seek. He's been a bad, bad boy."

"I am certain you are correct my dear. But do not worry. He will be back in the Order very soon, he and Angelus both. Then we'll be a family again."

"That would be lovely. But we won't really be a family you know, not without grandmum."

"That's true, my dear, but we will avenge her death and all will be well with the world."

"I'm hungry," the voice said as it changed to a whine. "May I go out and play?"

"Not yet. Soon. Very soon." He sat back in his chair and let an evil grin spread across his face.

* * *

It was getting late at night while Willow and Tara waited for their cab to arrive to take them to London. They had received an urgent call from Giles while he was in flight to England. He sounded somewhat panicked, which was worrying; Giles never panicked. The two had grabbed overnight bags and packed as lightly as they could, a sense of urgency surrounding them. Tara had been the first to sense something powerful on the horizon earlier that afternoon, after she and Willow had shared a few hours of lovemaking. Tara had gone immediately to the head of the Coven to discuss her fears. While she was gone, Willow's senses began to hum, whatever was rising was dark and powerfuland frightening. By the time Tara had returned, Willow was beside herself with worry.

"Tara I'm scared," Willow said with fear in her eyes. "Something awful is coming. I can feel it."

"I can feel it too. Maybe Giles will have some insight to it. Did you say anything to him aboutthis?" 'This' was the only word she could use to describe the creeping feeling of darkness that was starting to take over in her.

"No. He didn't give me the chance. He was all like 'get to my flat as quickly as possible!' Not even a 'please' or 'it's important' and that's not like him at all. He's usually so"

"British?"

"Yeah."

"Did he give you any reasons at all for the call?"

Willow shook her head. "He was kinda in a rush. Oh! I did catch something about a prophecy though and the Council. Think they might be connected?"

"I don't know. I guess we're not going to find out until we see him." Tara was concerned. Why would Giles call them for help and from mid-flight no less? She supposed they would get their answers soon enough. Or maybe they would just get more questions.

"Here's our cab," Willow yelled. She took one last look around the room to make sure they had everything before she grabbed their bags and headed out the door. She had a feeling that this was just the beginning of a very long night. 

* * *

William was the first to stand. He helped Buffy to her feet and then put his arm around her protectively. They both looked at the accusing, brown eyes in front of them. What had started out as one of the best days of his life was quickly becoming one of the worst as well. It was one thing to have to break the heart of someone he held dear, but it was quite another thing to have to face the whelp and his hurtful stares and tones, especially since they were directed at the woman he loved more than life itself.

"Now see here Harris" William started but was cut off.

"No! I think I've already seen enough!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Xander let me explain"

"You can't possibly explain what I just saw here."

"Yes I can. Xander, listen to me. I love Spike"

"Okay, _so_ not going to listen to this."

"You _are_ going to listen to this," Buffy demanded of her friend. "I love Spike"

"Are you insane?" Xander asked incredulously. "He tried to rape you Buffy, or have you forgotten that because he's human now?"

If looks could kill, Buffy would have struck Xander dead right there on the spot. "Don't even give me that attitude! You of all people should understand how I feel"

Xander shook his head wildly. "You're wrong. Anya and I are different"

"No, no you're not. You're in love with an ex-vengeance demon. I'm in love with an ex-vampire. The difference between you and me thoughI loved the monster as much as I love the man."

"What's going on? Why is everyone yelling?" Anya asked as she joined the heated discussion.

"I just caught vamp boy swapping spit with Buffy," Xander growled.

"What? Are you sure? Surely there must be some kind of mistake. William is dating Cecily"

"There's no mistake Anya," William said softly.

Anya stared confusedly at William and then at Buffy.

"I love Buffy. We're together"

"There's no way you two are together. No way!" Xander screamed.

Buffy took a step towards Xander. "First of all, you have no right to say that. I can be with whomever I want to be with. It's none of your business."

"No Buffy, it _is_ my business," he stated coolly taking a step towards her as well. "It's also my business to kill the son of a bitch for what he did to you last spring."

"You will not lay one finger on him. I've already forgiven him for what happened and he's forgiven me too."

Xander seethed. He kept clenching his fists, just hoping that Spike would make a move, just one. "Forgiven you? For what? For letting him live?"

"Xander you don't know what you're talking about," Buffy replied in a hard tone. "Now, you don't have to like him or accept him but you do have to accept the fact that I love him and we're together."

"What about Cecily?" Anya asked quietly.

"I broke it off," William answered. "It wasn't fair to her."

"You're right," Anya said glaring. "It wasn't fair to her. You should have never agreed to be with her if you knew you loved Buffy."

"Anya, I didn't hurt her on purpose. I had myself convinced that Buffy would never return my love, that things with her were dead. I didn't know that Buffy loved me"

Anya looked from William to Buffy and then down to the floor. This was a very difficult situation for her. Both Cecily and Buffy were her friends and she wanted nothing but happiness for them. She looked back up at Buffy. "Are you happy?"

"What?" Buffy asked frowning.

"Are you happy? It's a simple question actually."

"Y-Yes" Buffy stuttered.

"Then I'm happy for you," Anya said throwing her arms around Buffy and embracing her tightly.

"An, what are you doing?" Xander roared.

"I'm happy for my friends," Anya replied.

"But"

"Xander shut up," Anya snapped at her lover as she pulled back from the embrace. "Buffy is a grown woman and whether you like it or not, she and William are in love. They don't need your permission to be together."

Xander's mouth snapped shut and he glared. "Fine. I don't like any of this at all," he declared as he threw his hands up in the air in defeat. 

Buffy walked over to her friend and put her arm around him. "You don't have to like it. Just be happy for me, that's all I ask."

Xander sighed and looked down into his friend's green eyes. He saw a spark there that he hadn't seen in years. How could he deny her happiness? Finally, he reached out and hugged her. "I'm sorry Buffy. I do want you to be happy. Can't you just find happiness with someone other than dead boy?"

Buffy laughed softly. "He's not dead now, ya know." She walked over to William and smiled brightly at him. Nope, no doubt about it, she loved this man.

William held out his hand to Xander. "For the lady's sake can we just call a truce?"

Xander looked at the hand and then at Buffy. Unwillingly, he took the hand and shook it. "I don't like this but for Buffy's sake I'll accept itwith conditions. If you so much as hurt her again I will kill you, human or not."

"Fair enough," William nodded. He kissed the top of Buffy's head and gave her a squeeze.

"Now that this is all out in the open, I'm gonna go do a quick patrol and then head home. Angel should be dropping Dawn off in a few hours." She gave William a look that asked if he was coming with her.

"I've got some things I want to do here first luv and then I'll meet you there."

Buffy smiled and brushed her lips over his in a quick kiss. After grabbing a couple of stakes she left and went out into the early evening.

* * *

Angel watched the three girls from the top of the stairs. Dawn, Fred and Cordelia were sitting on the couches talking about only God knew what. He noticed how happy Dawn seemed at the moment. He was about to take that happiness away. He had to. Taking an unneeded deep breath, he started down the stairs.

"Hey girls. What's up?"

"Hi Angel," Fred said with a smile. "Dawn was just telling us about the time you took her to the park and rode the merry-go-round."

Dawn giggled at the look on Angel's face.

"You swore you'd never tell anyone about that," Angel scowled playfully.

Cordelia rolled her eyes at him.

"Hey, could you two give me and Dawn some time?" He asked his friends.

"Sure Angel," Fred replied knowingly. She grabbed Cordelia's arm and the two girls went into one of the back rooms.

"I guess it's time for that talk, huh?" Angel remarked as he sat down across from Dawn.

"That would be of the good," Dawn nodded.

"Right. I guess I just don't know where to start"

"Why don't you start with telling me who Connor is?"

"I guess I should do that." He smiled slightly and began to tell Dawn the story behind Connor, starting with his decent into darkness the previous year.  


  



	14. Slayer Interrupted

_**Author:**__ PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Buffy's newest threat reveals itself as Dawn and Angel finally have their discussion  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "In the Shadows"_

  
- 14 -  
Slayer Interrupted

As soon as Giles' plane landed at London's Heathrow Airport, he practically sprinted to his car. He was surprised that he had made it from the airport to his flat in record time and without one speeding ticket. Throwing his bags to the floor inside the doorway, he quickly went to the answering machine to check his messages. There were several from the Council catching him up on the latest translations and begging him to come to headquarters as soon as possible. Finally, he got to Willow's message, she and Tara were on their way and there was something urgent they wanted to discuss with him.

"I think I may already know what it is," he sighed to himself. He looked at his watch; it was pushing the wee hours of the morning. It didn't matter; they had a long night and maybe an even longer day ahead of them. The translations needed to be accomplished as soon as possible and he was hoping that Tara and Willow would be able to help him with those.

The insistent knocking at the front door brought him out of his thoughts. He quickly opened it and greeted two very tired witches.

"Giles," Willow cried hugging him. "Something bad"

"Is about to happen. Yes. I know. That's why I've called you here. I need you both to accompany me to Council headquarters. I need your assistance with a few things. It's quite urgent."

Both Tara and Willow nodded their heads and followed Giles back out into the night.

* * *

Buffy quietly walked along the tree line in the oldest cemetery in town. She was glad to be out of the shop and alone with her thoughts. The day had been overwhelming and tonight's patrol gave her time to unwind. Her eyes slowly swept the graveyard. She thought things were a little too quiet, especially since she was sure that the Master was lurking about somewhere. She knew her dreams couldn't be wrong; he was here in Sunnydale somewhere, waiting for her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. It looked like a demon fighting with a vampire.

"Maybe they'll kill each other and make my job a little easier," she said to herself.

She took a few steps closer to get a better view of what was happening. At first glance, she hadn't recognized the demon, but now, being closer to the action, she saw that it was Clem. Without a second thought, she sprinted towards the demon who was obviously in trouble. Grabbing the supposed vampire by the collar, she pulled him off Clem and threw him to the ground. She turned to Clem and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay Clem?" Buffy asked as she dusted him off.

"I-I'm fine. I think. Kid came out of nowhere and started pounding on me!"

"Kid?"

"Yeah," Clem replied as he pointed over at his assailant.

Buffy's eyes widened when she realized who it was. "Steven?"

"What? You know this kid?"

"He's Dawn's boyfriend," she said absently as she walked over to the teen.

"Heh," Clem replied. "You Summers women certainly have strange taste in men."

"Clem why don't you head home? I'll take care of this." 

"Sure thing Slayer. Thanks for the help. I'll have you and Dawn over for dinner sometime soon but she can't bring him."

"Sounds good Clem," she said still staring at Steven. She waited until Clem had gone before she said anything to the boy. "Wanna tell me what that was all about?"

"You let him go."

"Uh, yeah. Clem's a friend."

"You are stupider than I thought," Steven growled at her.

"I don't think I'm liking this tone"

"I don't care what you like," he hissed as he came at her full force.

Buffy was stunned as he knocked her to the ground.

* * *

"Wait a minute here," Dawn exclaimed as she stood up. "You mean to tell me that you have a son? Like in flesh and blood and Darla's his mother?"

"Yes," Angel replied quietly.

"No," she said shaking her head. "I don't believe you. Vampires can't have children! Isn't that what you told Buffy? Isn't that why you left her?"

"It's much more complicated than that Dawn."

"I'll say. Next thing I know you're going to tell me that you're in love with Cordelia!"

He looked up at her, not saying a word.

"Oh my god," she cried, backing away from him. "How could you? How could you do this to Buffy?"

"This isn't about Buffy. This is about me and Connor and Cordelia."

"Why are you telling me this then? What kind of reaction did you expect from me?"

* * *

On the other side of Sunnydale from where Steven and Buffy were fighting, Wesley and Lilah were in the throes of passion when the phone rang.

"Don't answer it," Lilah begged.

"I must. Could be the office."

Lilah flung herself off Wesley and onto the bed in frustration as he answered the phone.

"This better be good," Wesley growled into the receiver.

"Good evening Wesley."

"Gavin. Is there a particular reason you're calling me at home?"

"Yes. I need you and Ms. Morgan at the office immediately. The identity of Buffy's new watcher has been ascertained."

"And you felt the need to interrupt me at home to tell me this?" Wesley demanded.

"You'll understand better after you get here. I suggest you two get moving immediately. I'd hate to have to tell the senior partners that their best two associates were too busy getting it on to care about anything else."

"Right. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Goodbye." Wesley hung up the phone and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Get dressed. We're going to the office."

* * *

Buffy pushed Steven off her and rolled to the side. She stood up glaring at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded.

"I'm going to kill you," Steven spat back at her.

"You'll have to stand in line, lots of others would like that honor. Just one question though. Why?"

"Because you loved the beast willingly."

"I loved the" Before she could finish her question, Steven came at her again brandishing a sword.

"You deserve death!"

Her mind struggled to understand what was going on. Why was Dawn's boyfriend attacking her? He had seemed like such a nice, quiet boy. Aren't those usually the ones you should watch out for though? Didn't her mom tell her that at some point? It didn't matter right now, because right now, she was fighting for her life. She attempted to disarm him by kicking his hand but he had anticipated her move and turned to his left. His strength and prowess surprised her.

He lunged at her with the sword, hoping to gut her but she moved quickly to the side. He should have known that she would be a worthy adversary. Taking a step back, he grinned at her.

Buffy shivered at the sight of his grin. It was cold. Calculating. This was not the same boy that loved her sister. It couldn't be. As she stepped out of the way of his attack, she picked up her knee and kicked him in the small of his back. He went down on the ground, the sword flying away from him. Before he could get back up, Buffy grabbed the weapon and pointed it at him.

Steven stood up. He wiped the blood away from his mouth with his sleeve. The cold smile crossed his lips as he began to circle his prey. "How could you love the beast? You're a warrior like me. How could you do it?"

"Okay, first of all, no clue to what you're talking about. Second, you're really starting to piss me off. I think now would be a good time for you to explain yourself."

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Oh but I think you do"

* * *

"Dawn, listen to me, please," Angel begged of the hysterical girl in front of him.

"Why? Why should I listen to any more of this crap?" Dawn demanded, glaring at him. "I should kick your ass for what you've done to Buffy, I really should. She is so much better off with Spike!"

"Spike? What are you talking about?" Angel challenged.

"None of your business," she snapped. "You still haven't told me why you're telling me these things. What do they have to do with me?"

"Because I believe that Connor is with you"

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, I don't know any Connor!"

"I realize," Angel said putting his hands up defensively. "I think you might know him by another name."

Dawn rolled her eyes and flopped down on one of the sofas furthest from him.

"I think he might be using the name Steven."

"W-What?" Dawn asked, her eyes getting wide.

"Connor was kidnapped and taken to a hell dimension and raised by a man who called him Steven"

Dawn was shaking her head back and forth. "No. No. This can't be" The pieces were starting to fall into place now. What Steven had told her was making much more sense, but god no, this couldn't be true.

"I want to show you a picture of Connor, right beforebefore he tried to kill me."

Dawn's head jerked up at his last comment. "He tried to kill you?"

Angel looked down at his feet and then back up at Dawn. "Yes. He sent me to a watery grave. If it hadn't been for Cordelia" He trailed off as he handed the picture to Dawn.

Dawn gasped and put her hand to her mouth. The tears started flowing.

"Is that him?" Angel asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded and collapsed back into the sofa.

* * *

"So are you going to tell me what this is all about or not?" Buffy demanded of Steven.

He shook his head and smirked again. "If you can't figure it out for yourself, I'm not going to tell you." 

"You are quite the jerk, aren't you? If you want to continue to see my sisterWait, what am I saying? You're never going to see my sister again. Not after this!"

Steven's eyes narrowed and his face darkened. "You cannot threaten me that way. Once you're gone, Dawn will be able to do whatever she wants." He lunged at her again but she was ready for him.

"Okay, I've had about enough of this," she said grabbing him by the shirt and backing him against a large oak tree behind him. She held him to the tree with one hand and put the sword to his throat with the other.

* * *

Abruptly, Dawn stood up and threw the picture at Angel. "Are we done?" She asked still sniffling back the tears. "Cause if we are, I'd like to go home now."

Angel nodded and stood. He walked over to the teen and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

She looked up at him with anger in her eyes. "I don't think you should be touching me right now. What you did to Buffy"

Suddenly electricity charged the air around them.

* * *

Buffy continued to hold Steven captive against the tree. "I want answers, now!" She demanded as she pushed the point of the blade a little harder against his throat.

He started to laugh at her but said nothing.

"I really don't see anything funny about this Steven," she replied coolly. "Did you think by getting rid of me, Dawn would come running to you to thank you or something?"

Still he said nothing, just stared at her with that same cold smile.

In the midst of their confrontation, neither had noticed the portal open beside them.

"Don't make me kill you!" Buffy yelled at him.

"Buffy no!" Angel screamed from the other side of the portal.

Confused, Buffy looked around for the voice that she remembered so well. "Angel?"

"Buffy don't do it!" Angel cried out as he crossed through the portal and ran towards the two figures by the tree. "He's my son!"

The distraction was enough for Steven to break free from Buffy's grasp. He took off running, never looking back.

Buffy dropped the sword and looked at the man who had been the love of her life. "He's what?"  


  



	15. Impossibilities

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Gavin meets with Lilah and Wesley to reveal the identity of the new watcher while Buffy reels from Angel's news  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Slayer Interrupted"_

  
- 15 -  
Impossibilities

Buffy dropped the sword and looked at the man who had once been the love of her life. "He's what?"

"He's my son," Angel said, his shoulders slumping at the realization that Connor had taken off for parts unknown and that he had just blurted out the truth to his former love.

"I'm notI'm not sure I understand," Buffy said in a hushed tone. "How can he be your son?"

"It's a really long story," Dawn replied as she passed through the portal into Sunnydale. "One I don't think you really want to hear right now. Trust me."

Blinking hard, Buffy looked at her sister and then back at Angel. "But Vampires, they can'tIt's impossible"

"I know," Dawn replied placing an arm around her sister protectively. "I said the same thing. Apparently there's some kind of prophecy or something."

Angel reached out to touch Buffy's shoulder, but pulled back at the last moment when he saw the anger in Dawn's eyes. "I'm really sorry, Buffy. This isn't how I wanted to tell you."

"And just how was it that you were going to tell me that you had a teenage son?" Buffy demanded.

Angel shuffled his feet. Why did this have to be so damn hard? He was over two centuries old, and yet he was still intimidated by the first woman he ever truly loved. He lifted his eyes and met her puzzled gaze. "I, uhmI was going to tell you"

"Wow," Lorne exclaimed letting out a low whistle. "This is quite impressive my little green glow girl!" He walked out of the portal to join Angel and noticed the young woman that Dawn was standing next to in protection mode. "And you must be the one and only Buffy Summers." He extended his hand towards Buffy. "I'm Lorne."

Buffy just stared at him until Dawn gave her a small nudge. "Uhm, yeah. That would be me, Slayer in the dark." She met his hand and gave him a Slayer-strength shake.

"Nice grip you got there! So this is the infamous Sunnydale?" He asked turning towards Angel. "Doesn't look much like a Hellmouth sweetcheeks, although I am getting that vibe"

In the distance, the group of four heard someone calling Buffy's name.

"Must be William," Dawn stated, still talking for her dazed sister. She so did not want to be around when Buffy finally regained her senses.

"William?" Angel asked perplexed.

"My watcher," Buffy snapped. "And much more," she said under her breath knowing that only Angel would be able to hear it. She sprinted towards the voice. "William! We're over here!"

* * *

Wesley held the door open for Lilah as they entered the office building. He already had an idea of who Buffy's new watcher was but he figured he'd let Gavin bask in the glory. It was really quite amazing. How he'd kept the information to himself without Lilah catching on was also a bit amazing. He made a mental note to himself, as he pushed the elevator button, to act surprised when Gavin revealed the watcher's identity. The last thing he needed was twenty questions from his lover. As they waited for the elevator doors to open, he glanced over at the tall brunette that had been sharing his bed for several months now. She really was quite a remarkable creature, and he did use that word to describe her for he felt that human was too kind a depiction. Some days it still baffled him as to how he had wound up in this place and this time with her.

They rode in silence to the top floor, where all-important business such as this was conducted. Lilah scanned her identification card first and went through the metal doors. Wesley followed. Once inside they took their places at the conference table. This was the first time Wesley had been up to this floor, normally his duties didn't require it, but tonight was different. Apparently, the news that was to be shared among the top associates was so sensitive that it required the confines of the special room. Wesley tried to avoid chuckling to himself over the extra care that was being taken to reveal the identity of one man.

"So glad that you two could join us," Gavin said sarcastically.

Lilah and Wesley just gave him a cold glare.

"Linwood?" Gavin asked the conferencing equipment in front of him. "Are you there?"

"I'm here," Linwood replied coming into the view of the teleconference camera.

"Good then. Shall we get started?"

"Start away Gavin, my boy."

Gavin smirked at this hint of favoritism from his boss. As he spoke, he handed out the packet of information to Wesley and Lilah. "Due to the diligent work from some of our field agents, we've been able to ascertain the identity of one William Giles."

"He's the nephew of Rupert Giles," Wesley stated dryly, playing along.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong Wesley," Gavin grinned. "Up until a few months ago, William Giles did not exist. The Council of Watchers was very thorough in their creation of this identity. It was almost impossible to crack. Almost. If it hadn't been for an old photograph in a Chinese newspaper during the Boxer Rebellion, we would have been left to believe that this man was indeed Rupert Giles' nephew."

Lilah wrinkled her brow and gave Wesley a confused look. "The Boxer Rebellion was over a century ago Gavin. What does this have to do with the new watcher?"

Wesley knew where this was going. "What you're saying is that this new watcher was alive during the rebellion? That's a bit incredible seeing as how he'd have to be over one hundred years old and clearly not human."

"He wasn't a human," Gavin replied. "Now he is."

* * *

William ran to meet Buffy, fear and concern clouding his face. Heedless of those in the background, he quickly pulled her into his arms, stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Buffy, I'm so glad you're okay. Clem came to the shop and told us that Dawn's boyfriend was attacking you. I was hoping he was wrong but I've always had a feeling about that bloke"

"I'm fine," Buffy said pulling away and giving him a slight smile. "If Dawn hadn't gotten here in time"

"Dawn?" He asked incredulously. Then he looked over to the group of people standing by the tree. "Is that?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll take you over," Buffy said holding his hand and leading him to the group.

"Spike," Dawn screeched as she ran to him and threw her arms around the man.

"Bit," William replied hugging her tightly. "You gave us all a scare last night. What did Rupert and I tell you about going through portals?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I promise not to do it again," she answered contritely.

As soon as the teen released him from the embrace, he felt the eyes turn on him, those dark, piercing eyes. He chided himself for even letting his grandsire stir old feelings of hate, mistrust and inadequacy. He was William now, not Spike, and he refused to be cowed.

* * *

Angel stared in disbelief as Buffy's watcher kissed her and stroked her hair. At first, he hadn't recognized the man who was holding his former lover but then realization set in. He felt like he had been staked through the heart, except he wasn't turning into a pile of dust. How could this be? How could Buffy willingly accept Spike into her life? Into her family? He knew that he had been an outsider in Buffy's life for the last three years but he'd had no idea how much things had changed. The look on her face as she held her watcher's hand to bring him over to the group, told Angel everything he needed to know. She wasn't just in love; her soul was complete. She was more complete and at rest then he had ever seen her, even with him and that thought was almost unbearable.

Lorne noticed his friend's frame stiffen as he watched the two lovers embrace. "Let it go pal," he whispered to Angel. "You made your decisions a long time ago. These are hers."

Angel looked at Lorne pleadingly but said nothing.

"Angel, sweetcheeks, you gotta snap out of this. You have a long night ahead of you because you owe that brave girl an explanation. Otherwise, you'll never move on."

"I know," Angel replied, staring at the now present William who was just finishing an embrace with Dawn. Anger welled up within him when he realized that his adversary had taken his place both in Buffy's life and in her heart. In two short strides, he covered the ground between him and the watcher and started beating on the man.

* * *

"Not human but now human? Care to explain that Gavin?" Lilah demanded.

"Isn't it obvious, Lilah?" Wesley asked, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Before Wesley could continue, Gavin stepped in. "Mr. William Giles is indeed the legendary William the Bloody."

"Wait," Wesley stated in an annoyed tone. "You're trying to tell us that William the Bloody, also known as Spike, is now human and is in fact, Buffy's watcher? Seems a bit trite and a bit impossible if you ask me."

"Exactly," Linwood interjected. "The senior partners want Mr. Bloody brought in for questioning. They want to know how it is a vampire can become human. It certainly wasn't prophesized."

"True," Wesley agreed. "The only prophecy that we know of is one pertaining to Angel, the vampire with a soul."

"That is correct Wesley," Linwood stated from his office in Los Angeles. "I want you to look into this in more detail. Could there have been two vampires with a soul?"

Wesley snorted. "Highly doubtful, sir, but I'll look into it right away."

"Good man," Linwood stated. "And Ms. Morgan?" He asked looking directly into the camera.

"Yes Linwood?"

"I want you back up here in L.A. before midnight. I'm sure that Wesley can proceed with his research without you present."

Lilah blushed a deep red. "I'll be there in a few hours."

"Good. Let's get to work then."

Lilah threw an icy glare at Gavin who smirked back at her.

* * *

Before anyone could move, Angel was on top of William, pummeling him.

"Spike," Dawn screamed as Lorne held onto her.

"Angel! What do you think you're doing?" Buffy demanded as she tried pulling the vampire off the human.

Angel slipped into game face as he punched William again and again. He was enjoying every moment of this but he didn't understand why the younger vampire didn't hit back, all he kept doing was blocking his hits.

Lorne stepped over to Buffy and put his hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her back from the fray. "I think you should just let the two of them go, let them get this macho business out of the way."

Buffy spun around to look at the demon. "Normally, I would agree with you on that one, but Spike is"

Angel stopped, his arm cocked back and fist clenched to throw another punch. "He's what?"

"I'm a bloody human you wanker," Spike bellowed as he pushed Angel to the ground. He shook off Buffy's attempt to help him to his feet. As he stood up, he wiped the blood from his nose. "See? Blood. My blood. Human blood. What the hell is your problem?"

Angel pulled himself into a kneeling position and watched as Dawn ran to Spike, a look of fright etched on her face. "It's impossible"

"Let me heal that Spike," Dawn insisted. "You have a pretty nasty gash on your forehead."

"I'm alright Bit. Nothing that I can't heal myself in time."

"How?" Angel asked in disbelief. "How did this happen?"

"I earned it," William seethed.

Angel shook his head trying to take it all in. "What do you mean you earned it? You don't even have a soul!"

"Guess again Peaches," William snorted. "You're not so special after all. Not that it's any of your business, but it seems I've had a soul for a while now. I guess the love of a good woman can do that for you."

Angel lunged at William again but the man quickly sidestepped him.

"Okay," Buffy demanded as she stepped in between the two. "That's enough. I think you andLorne, is it?" She asked the demon to her left who nodded in reply. "I think the two of you should walk back through that portal right now. I'll track down Steven and send him home."

"Sounds like a plan to me," William scowled.

"Uhm, Buffy" Dawn stated hesitantly. "That's kinda not possible since I kinda let the portal close"

"Then you'll open another one," Buffy replied matter of factly.

Dawn bit her lower lip and looked down at her feet. "UhmI can't. I tried last night but I was too drained. I think I can only open one a day or something."

Buffy looked at her sister in shock. Great. Now they were stuck with one strange looking demon and one very pissed off vampire. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine. We'll figure out a way to get them back to L.A. tonight."

"I can't go back yet, Buffy. Not without finding Connor."

"Who's Connor?" Buffy asked scrunching her face into a frown.

"That's Steven," Dawn whispered to her. "It's a long story."

"Whatever. Fine. Let's move this party to my place then."

"Do you think that's such a great idea luv?" William asked glaring at Angel.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Guess not," he shrugged in defeat.

Buffy began herding the group towards Revello Drive but she stopped cold when she heard a familiar voice come from behind her. She felt William stiffen next to her. Could this night get any worse?

"My poor darling Spike," the voice cooed. "The stars whispered that you would be here. I'm so glad I listened."  


  



	16. Whisper to Me

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Connor runs to Wesley and Lilah while Buffy, William and Angel deal with an unexpected guest  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Impossibilities"_

  
- 16 -  
Whisper to Me

Connor paced the lobby of the Wolfram and Hart offices. Since he had checked Wesley's apartment first, he knew that the man had to be here. How had things gone so wrong this evening? Everything had been perfectly planned; he drew the Slayer into a trap by fighting a demon she was on friendly terms with. Perfect execution. Flawless. He'd had her right where he'd wanted her, even if she had appeared to have the upper hand. However, there was one thing that he had never expected to encounter, his father. At the moment, the Slayer was the least of his worries because what bothered him most was the fact that his father still lived. How could that monster still be alive? How could he have escaped death? Just as he was about to scream out in frustration, the elevator doors opened and three people stepped out.

Wesley was the first to notice Connor's presence. "Connor, what are you doing here? What's wrong?"

Connor's eyes darted from Lilah to Gavin and then back to Wesley. He didn't trust the other two but for some reason he felt he could trust Wesley.

"Why don't you two wait outside for me?" Wesley asked as he turned to his two associates. "Connor and I are going to have a little chat."

Lilah smiled at the boy. "Good to see you again, Connor."

The boy didn't acknowledge her greeting; instead he began pacing again like a caged animal.

"Wesley," Lilah stated in a whisper. "I think you're going to have your hands full, want me to stay?"

Wesley shook his head and motioned for her to leave. As he was about to go speak to Connor, Gavin grabbed him by the arm.

"Look Wesley," Gavin growled, supposedly out of earshot of the boy. "If he gives you any trouble your orders are to terminate him on the spot. We have bigger things to worry about."

Connor stopped pacing and glared at Gavin. Bastard. In his mind, he swore that Gavin would pay someday, as well as Angel. If he was lucky, he could kill them both at the same time.

Wesley noticed the boy's reaction. "Get out of here Gavin. Now. You very well may have cost us his loyalty."

Before Gavin could retort, the front doors blew open sending glass shards flying into the lobby.

* * *

"I want you to go home," Buffy stated in an even tone as she turned to Dawn. "Take Lorne with you. Do not open the door for anything. Do you understand me?"

Dawn nodded, eyes wide. She knew what the vampire behind them was capable of doing and it wasn't pretty. She grabbed Lorne by the arm. "Let's go. I don't think you want to get to know this part of Sunnydale on your first visit."

Lorne saw the fear in Dawn's eyes and felt it come off her body in waves. This was some serious stuff if it made an ancient mystical force, such as herself, terrified. "I think you're right kiddo. Lead the way."

Once Bit and the demon were gone, William spun around to face the owner of the voice. "Drusilla," he said, as calmly as he could muster. "What are you doing here, pet?"

"The stars whispered to me Spike. They told me that you needed me and that you'd be here." She strolled over to him, her dark eyes dancing.

"Are you sure you heard right?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "Cause I'm pretty sure any whispering that you're hearing in that warped mind of yours, is nothing more than your imagination."

Drusilla started swaying back and forth, whining. "Spike make her stop! Evil, nasty Slayer. I think I shall enjoy watching you die."

"No one's going to be dying tonight pet," William stated in a cold tone.

"You're right my darling Spike. No one will die tonight. But soon." She started clapping her hands together and her eyes danced in merriment. "There's a big party coming and you're invited. Everyone will be there."

William and Buffy shared a worried glance. "What party Dru?" 

Without answering his question, Drusilla wrapped her arms around him and licked his face. It was a gesture reminiscent of their time together. Suddenly she backed up and began to scream. "No! No! You're not my Spike! Where's my Spike?"

"Spike is dead, Dru."

"But the stars whispered"

"To hell with your bleeding stars," William screamed at her. "Spike no longer exists. He's gone!"

"I don't believe you," she cried. "The party is coming and Spike was invited, Miss Edith and the stars are never wrong about these things! Now tell me what you've done to my Spike!"

* * *

Glass crunched under their feet as a group of fledgling vampires entered the Wolfram and Hart lobby. Their newly acquired honed senses were in overdrive but they were under strict orders, no killing, and prisoners only.

"Now we can make this hard, or you can make this easy," the leader of the group snarled. "If everyone plays nice, no one gets hurt."

Connor glared at the vampires but never moved, every muscle in his body tense and ready to pounce if needed. He glanced over at Wesley who only closed his eyes and shook his head. They were out numbered but they didn't know who they were dealing with, did they?

Wesley pulled Lilah behind him protectively. "Do you have any stakes on you?" He asked her as he grabbed one out of his pocket.

"What? Do you think I just go around carrying stakes?" She asked coldly and then noticed the one in his hand. "Apparently you do."

"In my line of work, one tends to carry several," he said shoving one into her hands.

"I guess this means we're gonna have to do things the hard way," the leader sighed waving forward his cohorts. "Just remember, the Master wants 'em alive!"

"Bloody brilliant you Americans are," Wesley growled to Lilah and Gavin. "Let's raise the Master and then imprison him to do our dirty deeds, it'll be fun."

Lilah just stared at him while Gavin gaped.

The group of vampires began their decent on them. Connor was the first to react. In one swift motion, he had dusted one vamp and kicked another to the floor. As Wesley and Lilah stood poised to do their own battle, the elevator doors opened and Wesley shoved Lilah inside the car. "Close the doors and go to the top floor. Do not come down unless I come get you. I'd advise you to call Corporate as well."

She nodded her head and watched helplessly as the doors closed and Wesley was attacked from behind.

* * *

Buffy took a step forward, but William put his arm out to the side to stop her. "This is my fight, luv. Let me take care of this."

"But Spike" Buffy started.

"No. I mean it. Go home. I'll be along in a bit."

"It's all her fault," Drusilla shouted lunging for Buffy. "You've taken my precious Spike away!"

William stepped in front of Drusilla and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You'd do well to leave here pet. Now. I don't want to have to kill you."

Drusilla whimpered in pain as William tightened his grip on her. "My poor Spike. You're all wrong inside. Let me fix it for you so that we can be together again, like we were."

"Listen to me Dru. I am not Spike and we are never going to be together. Now go back to wherever it is that you came from and do it soon because I will kill you if I have to."

Her whining reached a high pitch and she began shaking. "Naughty Spike. Master isn't going to like this!"

William let go of Drusilla's shoulders, pushing her hard. He watched as she lost her balance and fell to the ground with a cry. "I don't care what the Master likes. Deliver a message for me luv; tell him that Spike is dead but that _I'm_ coming for him. Tell him that for me."

Drusilla began pounding the ground with her fists in a fit of rage. "I will have you back Spike! You and Angelus will come back to the order or you will both die!"

Angel moved out of the shadows, stepping next to William. "Deliver the same message for me, would you Dru?"

"Angel!" Drusilla exclaimed seeing him for the first time. "You're always such a naughty daddy. You're invited to the party too, the King of Cups says so."

"I don't think I'll be attending that one Dru," Angel responded dryly. "Now I suggest you do as William has asked and get out of here, cause if he doesn't stake you, I will."

"The stars are never wrong," Drusilla cooed as she rose to her feet. "You'll see. The world is going to burn and you'll be the last to go," she said pointing to Buffy and giggling like a child.

"Leave now!" William roared at her, his eyes flashing with anger.

Drusilla took a step back surprised at the forcefulness in his tone. "Poor lost Spike. Don't worry, mummy will find you again and everything will be as right as rain." She turned on her heels and glided out of the cemetery, into the night.

* * *

Wesley hadn't been expecting the attack and was knocked off balance. The stake he had been tightly holding skidded across the floor out of his reach. He tried to get up, but there was a weight on top of him. It was then that he realized that these were probably his last few moments of life. He could feel the vampire's teeth graze his neck and so he prepared himself for the inevitable. As the vampire bit into him, Wesley screamed out in pain and prayed that his end would come swiftly.

Connor heard screams and after dispatching his third vampire he turned his attention to the struggle by the elevators. Quickly he assessed the situation in the lobby. One vampire was on Wesley while three others were already taking the dark haired man outside into in the night. There was no sign of the woman, but he was certain that he had heard Wesley tell her to go up to the top floor and stay there. In two quick strides, he was on top of Wesley's attacker and turning him to dust before the vamp knew what had hit him. Slowly, he rolled the man over and looked into his eyes. He was relieved to see that Wesley was still alive.

Weakly, Wesley pulled himself into a sitting position. The lobby was deadly silent. He and Connor were alone; there was no trace of Gavin to be seen. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could feel the boy applying pressure to the bite mark on his neck.

"I'm glad you were here," Wesley stated giving Connor a slight smile. "I believe you saved my life."

Connor looked at Wesley and shrugged. "I just happened to be here at the right time. I wasn't able to save that other man though. They took him away."

Wesley grabbed Connor's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You did fine."

The elevator doors opened and Lilah stepped out. As soon as she saw the blood on Wesley's shirt, she ran to him. "Wes are you alright?" She demanded kneeling next to him.

"I thought I told you to stay upstairs until I came for you?" He growled at her, despite the pain that was now settling over him.

"I watched on the monitors. I knew it was safe to come down."

"I'm fine, but I don't think Gavin is as fortunate. Something tells me that he's in for a very rough evening."  


  



	17. Reacquainted

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** While Giles and the girls try to translate the prophecy, Buffy, William and Angel get reacquainted  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Whisper to Me"_

  
- 17 -  
Reacquainted

Giles sat at the table, a stack of opened books surrounding him. It was well into the early morning hours now; sunrise wasn't that far off. His head was pounding and his eyes felt as though they were crossing. He glanced at the Council's notes again. Their translation of the prophecy had to be wrong; it just had to be. How else could he possibly explain it? He couldn't, which meant that either they were wrong in their translation or he was just in denial. He'd hoped that it was the prior and not the latter. Taking off his glasses and sighing heavily, he rubbed his brow. He had to be certain about this or people were going to die, people that he loved. Finally, he decided that the only way to know for sure was to start over and that was exactly what they were doing now.

"Uhm, Giles," Willow said hesitantly from across the table. "This text you gave me to translateit's not sounding so great." She pushed her notes across the table and watched as he put his glasses back on to read.

"No," he responded with another audible sigh. "I guess it wouldn't."

Tara looked up from her book. "This isn't any better either." She turned the book around to show them what she had been reading. There on the right, was a picture of the world burning.

"Could this be any more depressing?" Willow sighed.

"Giles?" Tara asked. "What exactly is it that we're looking for? I'm not sure I really understand"

"I don't understand it much either, Tara. Let's go over what we do have so far, shall we?" Two heads nodded back at him. "We know that this prophecy deals with Buffy and the Master, and her possible death at his hands." He paused and then added, "Again."

"Why do these prophecy things always have to deal with death?" Willow lamented. "Why can't they say something good, like 'Buffy kicked butt, the Hellmouth closed and the world was savedforever'?"

"I wish it were that simple Willow," Giles agreed tiredly.

The three lapsed into silence once again as they turned back to their own tasks. The moments seemed to drag on forever. Giles was certain that they were running out of time. If only

"Hey," Tara said excitedly. "Didn't you mention a 'Drawing of Twelve' or something?"

"Yes," Giles said with a frown. "Have you found something?"

Tara nodded her head. "It's all in Latin. I'm sure I'm translating it right. 'Duodecim' is the title."

"May I see that?" Giles asked, extending his arm across the table towards Tara.

Passing the book to Giles she said, "I-I'm not sure, but I think it refers to us."

* * *

Buffy, William and Angel walked towards the Summers' home in complete silence. Each had their own thoughts playing through their minds. Buffy felt like she was starting to drown in the tension that was now surrounding them. Not only did she have to deal with the Master skulking about somewhere, but now she had to deal with Angel _and_ Drusilla as well. When it rained, it poured. She had so many things to say to Angel now that he was actually here but she was more concerned about the things that he was going to say to her. She knew she wasn't going to like anything he had to say but that didn't matter anymore. He had made the choice to walk out, not just on her, but on their relationship. He had chosen to go on and so had she, not that he had really given her much of a choice or anything. Trying to find comfort from all that had happened that night, she instinctively curled her arm around William's. It was a small gesture, but one that she knew would mean a lot to her watcher. She could only imagine what was going through his mind.

* * *

William walked on in silence. Tonight wasn't supposed to be like this. Tonight he had planned on curling up next to the love of his life and sleeping contentedly, but then he should have known that nothing ever went right on the Hellmouth. Nothing had gone right for him since the moment he had arrived in this God forsaken town five years ago. But he had stayed, for her and he had left and come back, all for her. It was almost ironic, he thought, that the same day that Buffy and he had shared their love for one another, Angel walked back into her life. He was almost certain that Buffy would discard him now that Angel was here; afterall, the ponce was the love of her life. At least he had been during her most impressionable years. He desperately tried to clear his mind of images of Buffy and Angel together, but he couldn't. A feeling of loss began to spread throughout his being. He yearned for her touch but refused to make the first move. He didn't want to push her away. That's when it happened. She reached out and snaked her arm around his. Such a small thing, really, but it made his heart sing.

* * *

Angel quietly walked behind Buffy. So many thoughts swirled around in his mind. First and foremost was Connor. Why had the boy come here? What had he hoped to gain by killing Buffy? None of it made any sense, at least not at the moment. Slowly coming out of his reverie, he caught himself gazing at Buffy's form. In all his time on this earth, the last thing he ever thought he would see would be Buffy in love with Spike. The Powers That Be had a strange sense of humor, if that's what you wanted to call it. He supposed that he had no right to judge or interfere, afterall, wasn't he in love with Cordelia now? If that were true, then why did his heart ache every time he glanced into Buffy's eyes? He watched, silently seething, as Buffy wrapped her arm around William's. Their tenderness and familiarity made him bristle. Just how far had this relationship gone? He guessed he would know soon enough.

* * *

As the three of them approached the front porch, Buffy was the first to break the silence. "Before we go in," she started in a stern tone. "I want to make a few things perfectly clear. Angel, you will not touch William again. Understand? Because if you don't abide by my request, I will throw you out and track down your son myselfand I won't be responsible for what happens to him."

Why was she being so hard on him? This wasn't the Buffy that he remembered. The Buffy that he remembered would have moved heaven and earth to help him. He wanted to protest, but closed his mouth and gave her a slight nod in agreement, knowing that in the mood she was in, anything he said would be held against him.

"Good," she said as she turned to William. "William, you will not bait Angel into another fight, nor will you stake him. Understood?" She knew she was asking a lot from him but she had to do it in order for them to all work together.

"Buff" William almost pleaded, trying to put on a good show for the poof. He knew that his relationship with Buffy had to be eating away at his grand sire. He kind of felt sorry for the old guy.

She folded her arms across her chest, giving him that look that he knew so well. The last thing she needed tonight was for their fragile male egos to keep clashing, especially since they had bigger problems to contend with this evening.

Knowing that he was defeated, he sighed. Man, was he whipped. "Agreed," he said rolling his eyes. Maybe he'd goad the poof into a fight out back if he got the chance, later of course, and out of Buffy's sight. He may not be Spike any longer, but he still had that itch for a good scrum every now and then.

* * *

The darkness of the cave where Gavin was held was but a fraction of the darkness that he felt in the presence of the Master. He had helped to create the monster and now the monster was going to be his undoing. He had been so cocky, so self assured that nothing could ever harm him. How wrong he had been. The torches that lighted the cave sent shadows dancing across the walls next to him. He was never sure if he was alone or if someone was with him because all he could sense was his own fear and impending doom. If he hadn't been gagged and bound, he wouldn't have screamed out anyway because he knew, no one would come looking for him. He was expendable, just like all the other Wolfram and Hart employees. There was no kidding himself there.

Several vampires came into the chamber, followed closely by the Master. Gavin knew that his time was up; he just prayed that he would find forgiveness on the other side.

"Can I play with him, pretty please?" The singsong voice crooned.

"You were naughty my dear," the Master replied in a not so playful tone. "You went out when I specifically asked you not to. Now they know you are here. I was hoping to spring that on them during the trials. No matter. I will still prevail."

"Pretty please, Grandpa-pa. My belly calls for him," she said, whining like a small child as she rubbed her stomach.

"Perhaps I will let you have a small taste after I am done with him. Now be a good little girl and go fetch me Darius. I need him to run another errand."

Drusilla pouted but walked away to do as she was told. She didn't want to upset Grandpa-pa anymore than she already had. If she were good, he would let her play with the new toy later.

After Drusilla and the others left the chamber, the Master turned his attention to Gavin. "Mr. Park, so nice of you to drop by. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this. Don't expect this to be fast because I intend to make you scream for a very long time."

Gavin closed his eyes, bracing himself, knowing that this was, indeed, the end of his retched life.

* * *

Dawn and Lorne sat on the couch waiting for the others to return. Lorne had tried to reassure the teen that everyone would be home safely, and soon. He didn't think she was buying it though because she still looked nervous and uncertain. Hoping to allay her fears for a while, he began telling her about Pylea and why he had left.

"Humans are called cows on your world?" She asked with wide eyes.

"That's right."

Dawn began to giggle and then it turned into a full on laughing fit. She noticed Lorne looking at her strangely. "I'm sorry," she said trying to breathe and waving her hand in front of her face. "It's just that I would have loved to have seen the look on Cordelia's face when she was called a cow!"

Lorne chuckled. He didn't know Cordelia as well as Angel or his Sunnydale counterparts, but he got the feeling that she had been quite the snooty one. Interesting. He'd have to explore this a little more and tuck the information into the back of his mind for later use.

"I guess when they get back, they're gonna want some time to talk, huh?" Dawn asked, scrunching up her nose as she changed the topic back to her sister and the two men.

"I would think so glow girl," Lorne replied in agreement.

Just then, the front door opened and the three in question entered the house. They looked unharmed as far as Dawn could tell. She got up from the couch and ran to her sister and William. Tears were still fresh in her eyes from her laughing fit.

"Dawn are you okay?" Buffy demanded after taking one look at her sister.

"Huh? What?"

"Tears?"

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine. Just the thought of Cordelia being a cow."

Buffy frowned in confusion wondering what her sister and Lorne had been up to while they had been taking care of Drusilla.

"Never mind," Dawn said giggling again. "Just a little story Lorne told me."

Angel shot a glare over at Lorne who just shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Come on Bit," William said as he steered her back towards the living room. "I think big sis and Peaches need to be alone for a while."

Buffy put her hand on William's arm and gave it a slight squeeze to let him know she appreciated his understanding. She almost melted when he looked at her with those sapphire eyes, conveying his love for her in one long glance. She smiled at him to let him know she felt the same way.

* * *

After it was decided that there would be a Scooby meeting following Buffy and Angel's talk, William took Dawn and Lorne and headed for the Magic Box. Once there, he would call Anya and Xander. Buffy stood at the door watching them disappear into the night. She wouldn't have let them make the trip without her if it hadn't been for the fact that she knew both William and Dawn could hand themselves. Closing the door, she turned to walk into the living room but Angel was standing right there, startling her out of her thoughts.

"Geez. Still big on the sneaking thing much I see."

Angel just looked at her and gave her a small shrug. "Old habit, I guess."

"Well," she said sighing as she motioned to the living room. "Let's get this over with." The sooner the better, she thought to herself

He followed her in and took a seat in the armchair. They sat in silence for several moments, neither knowing how to start or where to begin.

"About Connor" Angel started nervously.

"About William" Buffy began at the same time.

They both gave a small laugh. "You first," Buffy stated.

"No, really, go ahead." He was more curious to find out about her and William than he was to tell her about everything going on with him.

"Mine can wait. I want to know about your son."

"Are you sure?" He asked, trying to read her body language to see if she was being honest. "It's not going to be easy hearing what I have to say"

"I know and I'm going to hate hearing it, I'm sure. But we can't just pretend that we don't have lives without one another."

Angel nodded and then began, hesitantly at first, watching her every reaction.

Buffy sat in silence, her stomach twisting and her heart aching as Angel told her about his tryst with Darla and then about the miracle child. Yes, she had questions, and a lot of them but she was surprised that her first thoughts hadn't been 'It should have been me' but 'Thank God it wasn't me.' When he reached the part about Connor's abduction, she heard the hitch in his voice and saw the pain in his eyes. A part of her wanted to reach out to comfort him since he had been such a large part of her former life but a larger part of her, told her that it wasn't her place any longer. As if all he had said wasn't enough, she was stunned when he told her how Connor and Justine had trapped him and tried to send him to a watery grave.

"Your own son?" Buffy asked incredulously. "That's awful, Angel. I'm sorry." She had meant that. No one deserved to go through that, certainly not him. "What happened? How did you get out?"

"Cordelia."

"Cordelia?"

"She rescued me. There's a lot you don't know about her. Before Doyle died, he passed on his gift of vision to her so that we could continue to help people. The visions began taking a toll on her. She was never supposed to have them, they weren't meant for humans. Eventually, she willingly agreed to let the Powers make her part demon"

"Cordelia is part demon? Are you serious?" She tried to stifle a laugh. Somehow, Buffy just couldn't picture Queen C being anything but the bitchy cheerleader. "Sorry, it's kind of ironic."

"Yeah, well, she's got some really powerful abilities. She still has visions, but they're not as painful anymore. The Powers considered her a higher being, that is until she defied them and helped me."

Buffy frowned as she tried to picture Cordelia as a selfless, higher being. Nope. Just couldn't see it.

"Stopping time is one of her abilities," Angel continued in a voice filled with emotion. "That's how she saved me from Justine and Connor. After pulling me out of the box, she filled it with sandbags that she found on the boat. As soon as she had us well out of sight, she resumed time and Justine and Connor were none the wiser. They believed they had sent me to my death."

Buffy buried her face in her hands. She couldn't believe the story that she just heard, a son hating his father so much that he had tried to send him to his death. She thought her family had been screwed up. Finally, she looked over at Angel. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that. At least Cordelia was able to save you. I can't imagine"

"There's one other thing," Angel said lowering his eyes.

"You mean there's more?" Buffy asked with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah. About Cordelia"

* * *

The Master sat on his makeshift throne, wiping the blood from his chin. There was nothing sweeter than revenge, was there? Certainly not for him, and certainly not this evening. He watched in pleasure as Drusilla toyed with Gavin, his screams echoing through the chamber every time she pulled a fingernail and sucked the blood that gushed out from the open wound.

"Don't drain him yet, my dear. There's much more torture to be had."

Drusilla looked up from her snack, blood covering her mouth and chin. "Just a little more and then you can have him back," she said with a wicked smile.

"Very well." He then turned his thoughts to the Last Judgment. Things were still coming together nicely, albeit slowly, but that would change in the next day. He knew that the one of The Twelve that had left had now returned, and with her she had brought the sixth. Excellent. The others would arrive tomorrow. He closed his eyes to revel in his visions. It was then that a blonde, tall, well-built vampire entered the chamber and bowed before him.

"Ah Darius," the Master crooned. "There you are. I have a little message I'd like you to deliver to the Slayer."  



	18. Disruptions

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** Buffy and Angel's conversation is interrupted while the Drawing of the Twelve continues  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Reacquainted"_

  
- 18 -  
Disruptions

Their trip to the Magic Box had been uneventful and for that, William was relieved. Despite the fact that he knew Buffy loved him, the idea of leaving her alone with Angel didn't sit well. He wasn't sure if that was jealousy talking or if he just had a bad feeling about it, more than likely it was jealousy. It was something he was going to have to learn to control, especially when it came to the ponce. He then turned his attention to the Bit and watched quietly as she and Lorne interacted. They seemed comfortable with one another, which was good, this way he wouldn't have to worry about keeping her occupied while they waited for Buffy. He was sure that Dawn had a million questions to ask him, especially after she had seen the way he had kissed Buffy back at the cemetery, and he just didn't want to answer them yet, not without Buffy by his side.

"Do you want me to call Xander or do you want to do it?" Dawn asked as soon as they entered the shop. He had been quieter than usual on the walk over and she had noticed the distraction in his eyes. Hesitantly she reached out to him and touched his arm. "Don't worry Spike, it's going to be okay."

William nodded, trying desperately to cover up his fragile ego when it came to her sister. "I'll call him," he stated quietly as he walked over to the phone.

"Is he always this serious?" Lorne questioned in a hushed tone.

"No," Dawn replied with a frown. "I think he's just really uptight about leaving Angel and Buffy alone together."

Lorne nodded. "I don't think he has much to worry about."

Dawn agreed but how was she going to put William's mind at ease? Suddenly she squealed with delight. "You should have him sing for you!"

"Think you could get him to do that?"

"Definitely," she said with a knowing smile.

* * *

"You have something else to tell me about Cordelia?" Buffy asked, sensing that it was something important. "Are you going to tell me that she's dating some supernatural being?"

Angel's eyes widened. "I guess you could say that"

"Hold that thought," Buffy said quickly as the phone began to ring. She sprinted towards the phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Buffy thank goodness I was able to reach you." 

"Giles?"

"Yes Buffy, it's me."

"Giles isn't it like the middle of the night or tomorrow over there right now?"

"Something like that," he sighed. "Listen, it's most urgent. Willow, Tara and I have been doing some research here on the prophecy. I'm not going to lie to you, it's very bad."

"How bad? Like 'apocalyptical' bad or just 'Buffy's going to die again' bad?"

"Both."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"We need your help."

"What can I do?"

"It's more like what Dawn can do. I need you to have her open a portal here. There's no time for us to arrive by conventional means and we can't afford to drain Willow and Tara's powers right now, we're going to need them."

"I'm not sure she can do it Giles"

"What do you mean not sure?"

"She's already opened a portal today and she's not sure she can do it more than once a day."

"Buffy we need that portal, now."

"Okay. They're at the Magic Box. Angel and I will head there now"

"Angel?"

"Yeah. Long story. I'll tell you all about it when you get here."

"Very well. Call me when you get to the shop."

"I will. Bye." After hanging up the phone, Buffy looked at Angel. "Did you get all that?"

"Yeah," he replied, his tone serious.

"Let's go."

* * *

In Los Angeles, the senior partners of Wolfram and Hart summoned Linwood to their offices on "Mahogany Row". Nervously, he sat in the outer room waiting to be beckoned into the large conference room. In all his years of employment at the firm, this was the first time that he had been requested to attend any type of meeting with them. What did they want? Was he going to be fired? He couldn't imagine why they wanted him to attend such a top-level meeting, and he certainly didn't know of anything he'd done that could possibly get him dismissed, or killed for that matter.

All this guessing was bringing on a headache. He made several attempts to make himself comfortable in the chair the secretary had pointed him to when he first arrived, but he just couldn't stop fidgeting. The secretary looked at him over her glasses, giving him the sympathetic look that a secretary saves for a child who is waiting for punishment outside of the principal's office. His nervous energy was getting the best of him so he began to pace, still trying to figure out why they wanted to meet with him. Finally, he sat down in one of the chairs and buried his face in his hands, trying to compose himself. Just then, an office door opened on his right and a woman in her late twenties approached him.

"Excuse me, Linwood? The senior partners have decided that they don't need to meet with you after all but that I should deliver this message instead."

Linwood stared at the woman in shock. Were they just dismissing him like that? With a note?

She walked over to him and handed him the folded paper. As she made her way back into the office, she stopped and turned. "I'd advise you to take care of that as soon as possible."

His head snapped up to look at her but she had already closed the door behind her. He turned his attention back to the note in his hands.

Linwood,

Please be advised that we are aware of the present situation in Sunnydale so no need for an update at this time, hence the cancellation of our little get together. It has also come to our attention that we have a traitor in our midst but we're sure that you were already aware of this and have been diligently working towards a solution to the matter. Continue to keep us abreast of any further major developments.

Best regards.

P.S. Please accept our deepest sympathy for your employee, Gavin Park.

He stared at the note in silence. Lilah had managed to get a message through to him while the Sunnydale office was under attack. She had informed him that Gavin had been carried off to whereabouts unknown. Such a shame. He would miss the man. Sighing, he walked back to the elevator and pushed his floor number. Time to make a phone call.

* * *

Lilah and Connor had slowly helped Wesley to his feet and then to his car. The ride back to Wesley's place was made in silence. He supposed that the other two had been reflecting on the night's occurrences. He was sure that they were no longer in danger. The Master's minions had come for one thing and one thing only, Gavin Park. How else could they explain the fact that Gavin had been taken alive and that he had been attacked and almost killed? He shuddered at the thought of what Gavin was going through right now.

Connor silently sat on the couch across from Wesley while Lilah was in the shower. He wanted to tell Wesley that Angel was here but first he wanted to make sure that the man would be all right.

"Connor I assure you that I'm perfectly fine," Wesley stated as he noticed the teen's doubtful expression. "I'm just a little tired and that will pass. Now, are you going to tell me what's troubling you?"

"Angel is here."

Wesley sat up straight and looked the boy in the eyes. "Are you quite certain?"

"He was with Buffy and Dawn," he said quietly, leaving out the fact that Dawn had opened a portal and brought the monster through with her.

"Interesting." The thoughts started swirling in his mind. Everything was coming together. "Connor I want you to promise me something," he demanded, continuing only after the boy nodded in agreement. "I want you to promise that you won't speak a word of this to anyone but me. It will be just between us, understood?"

Connor frowned. He didn't pretend to understand, but when Wesley turned to make sure that Lilah hadn't finished her shower, realization of Wesley's words sank in. "Understood." 

"Good," he stated as he got up to answer the phone that had just started ringing.

Connor sat back on the couch and closed his eyes; thoughts of Angel began to consume him. Maybe Wesley could help him figure out how Angel was still alive or maybe he should call Justine to let her know they had failed?

"Very well," Wesley stated into the phone. "Consider it done."

"Who was that?" Lilah asked as she came into the living room looking refreshed.

Wesley hung up the phone and looked at her defiantly.

* * *

"Whatever you do," Lorne cautioned Dawn. "Don't sing. Last time you sang, I thought my head was going to explode. Just get him to do it and if you can't get him to sing, try to get him to hum.

Dawn nodded at her co-conspirator. "Spike?" She asked as he came out of the training room carrying the bigger weapons they kept hidden. It seemed as if he was trying to busy himself to keep his mind off what might be happening back on Revello Drive.

"Yeah Bit?"

"I was just telling Lorne about our visit from Sweet last year. Do you remember how that last song went? Wasn't it something like, 'walking alone in fear'?"

William frowned, trying to recall the words to the last song they had sung together as a group, right before he had kissed Buffy in the alley. His memory failing him, he began humming the tune to the song. Why in the world did Dawn need to know this now?

Dawn smiled at Lorne in triumph and then turned her attention back to William.

Lorne was glad that she had looked away from him. The more William hummed, the more information he received and the more he received, the more he wanted to hear. "Holy sweet potatoes," he stated under his breath.

"It's all hazy," William finally said after trying unsuccessfully to remember the words. "Can't remember a thing." He was sure his memory lapse was because his mind was on other things at the present moment. That night had been a turning point for him in so many ways and he usually remembered every detail vividly. Shaking his head, he walked over to the counter, tempted to call Buffy.

"That's okay, Spike," Dawn frowned as William started walking away from her. "No big, I guess. Just thought it would be neat to sing for Lorne." Dawn glanced at Lorne and gave him a perplexed look. The demon looked shell-shocked. "You okay?" She asked grabbing his arm.

Lorne looked at her but said nothing.

Dawn frowned. Something wasn't right. Lorne knew something and wasn't going to share it, at least not with Spike standing there. She tried desperately to think of something to get rid of him so that she could talk to the demon in private. "Spike, do you think you could get us a pizza or something? We haven't eaten in forever."

"Come to think of it," William said tilting his head to the side and smiling, oblivious to what had just occurred. "I haven't eaten since lunch myself. That's a great idea. Any topping preferences?"

"Nope. How 'bout you Lorne?"

Lorne silently shook his head. He needed to talk to Angel, immediately. This was not good.

"Okay, two large pizzas coming up."

While William was making the phone call to the pizza place, Dawn leaned over to Lorne. "You alright?"

The demon took a deep breath and then looked at Dawn. "What do you know about the Shanshu prophecy?" He asked, his tone becoming serious.

Dawn furrowed her brow and shook her head. "Never heard of it."

Just as Lorne was about to explain it to her, Xander and Anya walked through the door.

* * *

Buffy had thrown a couple of stakes Angel's way before they had left the house and now they were walking in silence towards the Magic Box. Out of the blue, it occurred to Buffy that Angel had been in the middle of telling her something about Cordelia when Giles had called. It had seemed pretty important to him at the time so she thought she should try to bring up the conversation again before they arrived at their destination.

"Angel, you were going to tell me something about Cordelia before we got interrupted. You wanna tell me now?"

Angel gazed at her intently. He wanted to tell her that he was in love with Cordelia but just couldn't bring himself to say the words, not while he was looking in her eyes. Those eyes had always looked at him so lovingly and with such longing, but now he didn't see any of that, all he saw was concern and questions. How had things changed so much? Hadn't they always declared that they were soul mates? He quickly looked away from her, hoping that she didn't see the pain in his eyes.

"Buffy," he started, not exactly knowing what he was going to say. "Remember how we promised we'd never love anyone else?"

"Yeah but Angel," she said shaking her head and laughing. "I was a kid then. We said a lot of things that we shouldn't have."

He looked at her in surprise. "What are you saying Buffy, that you never loved me?"

She saw the pained expression on his face and realized that she had said the wrong thing. "No Angel, I'm sorry if it sounded that way. That's not what I meant. I did love you. Then."

"But not anymore?"

"Angel," she said softly, lowering her eyes and smiling sadly. "I loved you then and I love you now, just not in the same way. If you had asked me that yesterday, I would have given you a different answer, but now"

"What happened yesterday that changed your mind?" He demanded, already knowing the answer and dreading hearing it.

"Yesterday I grew up."

"It's none of my business Buffy but"

"You're right. It is none of your business but if you have to know, I love him and it goes both ways."

Angel looked down at the ground. It was harder to hear the words than he had anticipated. He now felt like a truck had hit him. If he was so in love with Cordelia, then why did this hurt so much? Was it because he was still in love with Buffy? That had to be it, didn't it? He was still in love with her. Before he could admit that to her, a tall, blonde vampire interrupted them.

"I have a message for the Slayer," Darius stated with a cold smile.  


  



	19. Messages & Prophecies

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** A message is delivered to Buffy while several allies arrive in town  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Disruptions"_

  
- 19 -  
Messages & Prophecies

An old pickup truck, containing three out of place visitors, cruised the somewhat deserted streets of Sunnydale. Gunn looked around the town as he slowly drove through. It was nothing like Los Angeles, which was usually bustling with activity at all times of the day and night. It seemed to him that when the sun went down here, the sidewalks got rolled up and people hid in their homes.

"Are you sure they're going to be at this magic shop?" He asked Cordelia doubtfully as he continued to navigate the streets. "Cause I'm thinking that I'm gonna run out of gas before we can find Angel. I thought you grew up here?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Yes I grew up here Gunn, but the Magic Box wasn't around."

"Why couldn't we just go to this Buffy's house and wait for them there?"

"Because they probably aren't there. From what Willow has told me, anytime something big happens, they go to the Magic Box. I'm pretty sure this qualifies as something big."

"I hope you're right."

"Of course I am. Turn here!" She said excitedly pointing to her right.

"Are you sure? Cause like I said earlier, gas"

"Just turn here Gunn. I think it might be near the store where I used to work."

With an exaggerated sigh, Gunn turned the truck onto the street Cordelia requested.

"What kind of work did you do?" Fred asked quietly, trying to listen to the conversation as she took in the sights of the town.

"When the IRS caught up with my father, I went to work at one of the best dress shops in town. No one knew, except for Xander and he was gentleman enough to keep it quiet." That had amazed her. Of all the people she expected to revel in her downfall, he had surprised her and done the opposite.

"I can't believe we're actually going to meet the Scooby gang," Fred said excitedly.

Gunn laughed at his girlfriend's remark. "Fred, they don't sound any different from us and what we do for the man."

"But Charles, we're going to meet Buffy!" As soon as she said the words, she regretted it. Cautiously she glanced at Cordelia who was now wearing a scowl. "I'm sorry Cordelia, it's just that"

"I know Fred. It's okay. Buffy and I weren't exactly friends but we were friendly. Things are different now. I'm sure Angel has already told her about us."

* * *

"Slayer," Darius began in an even tone. "The Master requests your presence tomorrow night at sunset, you and the rest of the Twelve."

"What if I decide to stay home and wash my hair?" Buffy asked sarcastically. "I mean I am a busy person. Demons to slay, you know the deal. Who's the Twelve? Is that some kind of new band? Cause I gotta say if it is, it's a pretty lousy name" 

"I wouldn't be so flippant if I were you. The Last Judgment is almost upon us. Which side will you be on?"

Buffy turned to Angel and frowned. "Do you understand a word this whack is saying?"

Angel shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the messenger. "Not really, then again I was never one for small talk. Maybe if we hold him down and threaten him, he'll be able to enlighten us more." 

Buffy moved quickly and overtook the vampire in seconds. She stood behind him with one arm around his neck and the other with a stake pressed to his heart. "Tell your Master that Drusilla has already invited us to his little party and we have declined the invitation."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. You are expected. If you do not show at the precise moment, the Last Judgment shall arrive unopposed."

Anger enveloped her. She pulled him tighter in her grip, breaking the skin on his chest with the stake.

"I'm not afraid to die," Darius declared.

"But you should be," Buffy stated coldly as she pressed the wood deeper into his skin, hoping that it would have some kind of positive effect on him. They needed information to understand what they were going up against.

"Let me take it from here, Buffy," Angel said quietly as he punched Darius in the face, breaking his nose. The young vampire howled in pain as he fell to the ground.

"You must be Angelus," he said behind his cupped hand. "Master has spoken highly of you on several occasions. Do not worry, for you will be back in the order before long."

Angel stared incredulously at Darius. "The order died a long time ago. The Master is a fool if he thinks otherwise!"

"No Angelus" Darius declared still holding his nose. "You're the fool. The Master will have you as his right hand. You'll see."

* * *

Xander and Anya walked over to the table where Dawn and the demon were sitting.

"Oh! There's something you don't see everyday," Anya exclaimed.

"What's that hon?" Xander asked in a sarcastic tone. "A big green monster with red eyes and horns talking to our Dawnster?"

"No silly," she said, smacking his chest. "A Pylean in our dimension!"

Lorne examined Anya closely. "I'm sorry. Should I know you?"

Dawn giggled. "It's okay, Anya is our resident ex-demon."

"Vengeance demon. I used to travel dimensions, mostly for business but I went to Pylea for fun once with a tour group."

"And what did you think of my home?" Lorne asked, interested in hearing her response.

"It was sort of fun at first, like the dimension without shrimp. The two suns thing was great for getting a tan but did you know they don't have music there?"

"You don't say," Lorne gasped theatrically.

Anya nodded but continued. "Anyway, things were going great until there was this cow uprising, which we didn't get to stay for since our vacation was over and we had to leave but I heard later that it had gotten pretty intense. Kind of hard to imagine a bunch of cows just deciding to not give milk or something."

Lorne just stared at Anya and chuckled. He liked this girl; she was honest and spoke her mind. He had no doubt that the two of them would get along just fine; however, the young man with her was a different story. "So glow girl, wanna introduce me to your friends?"

"I'm sorry Lorne. Anya and Xander, this is Lorne. He's one of Angel's friends and came through the portal with us."

"Nice to meet you Lorne," Anya said smiling cheerfully.

"Any friend of Angel's" Xander stated in the same sarcastic tone as earlier. He felt there were already more than enough demons, ex or not, hanging out at the Magic Box this evening and they certainly didn't need ones from L.A.

"Why do I get the feeling you don't really mean that?" Lorne asked, studying Xander closely.

Xander shrugged and noticeably bristled when William joined them at the table. "Hey dead boy," Xander snorted. "Wanna tell us what's going on. You were pretty vague on the phone."

Lorne shook his head. He could tell this Xander person was a self-righteous, pompous, pain in the

"The pizzas should be here momentarily," William said with a sigh and sat down heavily on the chair. Truth be told, he was exhausted and didn't feel like dealing with the whelp this evening.

The shrill sound of the phone ringing instantly refocused everyone's attention. William walked over to answer it, relieved that the phone had saved him from speaking to Harris.

* * *

"What do you think Buffy? Should we kill him?" Angel glared at the young vamp that was sprawled on the ground in front of him.

"I'm thinking, nah. We still need information from him."

Angel nodded in agreement. He raised his foot and placed it on the vampire's neck, slowly applying pressure. "So is there anything else you might think you need to tell us?"

Darius glared at the older vampire.

"Wanna share the details of the Last Judgment with us?" Buffy asked casually as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I will not reveal anything other than my message to you and that I have already done."

Angel pressed his foot harder on the minion's neck; any more pressure would result in breaking the vertebrae. "You might want to rethink that because the sun will be up before your neck heals, should I break it."

"I have delivered my message. Kill me now if you wish but I will not say anything more."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Never mind Angel. Let him go. This way we can send him back with a message of our own." Buffy leaned over Darius, grabbed him by the collar and scowled. "Tell your boss that I'm going to find him and when I do, he's going to have a feeling of déjà vu. Now get out of here!"

Darius leapt to his feet and sprinted off into the night while Buffy and Angel continued on to the Magic Box.

* * *

"Watcher, how's it going?" William asked into the phone, concern coating every word.

"Not the best I'm afraid. Is Buffy there yet by chance?"

"No her and Peach, err, Angel were going to meet us here after their talk."

"I just spoke to them not fifteen minutes ago. They said they were leaving for the shop right away."

William's heart began to pound in his chest. What if something had happened to her while she was on her way here? Certainly she'd be able to hold her own and with the ponce along with her, she should be safe, right? "I should go look for her then. We ran into Drusilla earlier"

"Drusilla? Oh my. It's worse than I thought. Listen to me closely William there isn't much time. Is Dawn with you?"

"Yeah, Bit's here, why?"

"I need you to have her open a portal to us in England. As I explained to Buffy, there's no time for air travel. We need to get there immediately." He hoped that his tone of urgency was getting through to the new watcher.

William waved Dawn over to him. Covering the mouthpiece, he explained to her what needed to be done. "Think you can do it?"

Dawn bit her lip and rocked on the balls of her feet. She had never opened a portal on demand, nor had she done two in one day. If this were a true dire emergency as Spike had told her it was, what would happen if she couldn't open one? Would they all die? She looked up at the man who had become her surrogate brother. "I don't knowwhat if I fail?"

"Bit, all I'm asking is for you to try, okay?"

With tears forming in her eyes, she nodded and stepped out into the middle of the room. She wasn't sure she could do this, not without everyone watching but she had to try.

"Okay Rupert," William said, his voice wavering. "She's going to give it a whirl. I can't promise anything though"

"Right. Just try to help her out as best you can."

Nodding to himself, he put the phone down on the counter and walked over to Dawn. "Ready?"

* * *

"There he is," Fred yelled as she pointed to a spot off to their right, not far from the Magic Box.

"About time," Gunn sighed as he looked down at his gas gauge. The yellow light had come on about a minute ago, signaling that he was almost on empty.

"Angel," Cordelia called, rolling down her window and waving at him. She tried not to look upset when she saw Buffy walking next to him.

"Is that the Fang Gang?" Buffy asked with a smirk.

Angel laughed. "Is that what you guys call them?"

"Well yeah," she replied noticing that Angel had really laughed. Was that the first time she had ever seen him do that? "We're the Scoobies and you guys are the Fang Gang." She hoped that he could sense that she was being playful and didn't mean any disrespect by it.

Gunn pulled the truck up to the curb and Cordelia jumped out and ran to Angel. "I was so worried" she cried as she threw her arms around his neck.

Angel shook his head and took a step back, out of the embrace. This isn't how he wanted Buffy to find out about them. He squeezed her arm and gave her a slight smile. "I'm okay Cordelia."

A pained look crossed her face as she realized that Angel hadn't come clean to his one time love. She should have known better. He was always going to love Buffy, wasn't he? "Right. I just wasn't sure that you, Lorne and Dawn made it through the portal okay."

Buffy watched the exchange with a smile.

"You must be Buffy," Fred stated in a giddy tone as she extended her hand to the vampire slayer. "Angel has told us all so much about you. Oh, well, it's not like he talks about you all the time or anything but" Realizing that she was babbling, she quickly changed the topic. "I'm Fred and this is Charles."

"Hi Fred," Buffy laughed as she shook the girl's hand and then the young man's. "I seem to be getting a lot of that tonight," Buffy stated giving Angel a sideways glance.

Angel smiled sheepishly and then looked away. After seeing Cordy again, he had no doubt now that he was still in love with Buffy.

Just as Buffy was turning to greet Cordelia, she heard screaming coming from the shop and then the windows blew out. "What the?" She turned and started running, only one thing going through her mind, something had happened to Dawn.  
  



	20. Drawing of the Twelve

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** The Twelve come together as the Last Judgment approaches  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Messages & Prophecies"_

  
- 20 -  
Drawing of the Twelve

Wesley stood his ground as he glared at Lilah. Things were finally coming together and he no longer needed her. It was true that part of him had enjoyed the "perks" that had come with this job, but now it was time to move on. He could tell that his glaring was starting to unsettle the woman. Good. He wanted her unsettled; give her a small taste of what it was that she had done to him so many times before. The look on her face was priceless, if he had the time, he would definitely revel in it, but unfortunately, time was something he didn't have at the moment. It seemed to him that she wasn't sure if she should be pissed off at him for his expression or if she should turn and run away as quickly as possible.

Lilah shifted her feet. She had never seen Wesley with that type of look on his face. It made her blood run cold. "Wes, what's wrong? Who was that on the phone?" She hoped that her questions and soft tone would relax him but they didn't. It seemed to her that his eyes got harder with each passing moment.

"It's none of your concern to whom I was just speaking to. Now get dressed. We're going in town."

"Why are we going in town?" She asked him with a frown. What did he need to do in town and why did he want her to go along?

"Just do as I say"

"I will not," she huffed, her voice taking on a stronger tone than how she actually felt. "Just who do you think you are?" How dare he speak to her this way and in front of Connor? She glanced over at the boy who was watching the exchange quietly.

"I don't have time for your attitude. Just do it." His voice was hard, unyielding.

She took a step back, giving him a defiant stare. "Fine but don't think this little conversation of ours is over" 

Wesley rolled his eyes. He would say just about anything at this point to get her out of the house but he couldn't chance angering her more than she already was. Softening he stated, "Just get dressed." He watched as she wound her way around the unpacked boxes and into the bedroom. "Connor, it's time you and I had a little chat about Angel."

* * *

Buffy ran at a full sprint towards the Magic Box, the others following close behind. Despite the fact that they had only been a few hundred yards away at the time of the explosion, she felt as if it was taking her an eternity to get there. Had it been Dawn that screamed? She wasn't sure but it had sounded like her sister and then there was the little thing with the windows blowing out. What could have happened? Her heart was racing and fear had taken over as she reached the door and threw it open.

"Dawn," she screamed as she ran into the darkened shop. 

"Buffy we're all fine," William said calmly from somewhere within. "Just don't come in any further yet." He knew it would take them all a few moments for their sight to adjust to the darkness.

Her fear had subsided as soon as she had heard her lover's voice but her worry for her sister continued to grow. She could hear the scuffling of feet and the moving of furniture but she couldn't see much of anything. "Dawn?" She asked, as the others arrived behind her. She was clearly shaken and her voice betrayed that fact.

"I-I'm fine Buffy," Dawn said weakly.

"Buffy what happened?" Angel asked as he came up behind her.

"I don't know"

Suddenly the room was illuminated with a soft glow from a lantern Anya carried out of the basement. "Look at my poor shop," she lamented as she raised the light above her head. "Next time you open a portal Dawn, remind me to have you do it outside."

"Sorry," Dawn sighed. She'd had no idea that this would happen, it hadn't happened before tonight.

"Everyone here?" Giles asked, somewhat shaken as well.

"I th-think so," Tara stated as she looked around for Willow.

"Okay," Buffy demanded trying to get everyone's attention. "I'm gonna ask again. What just happened here?"

"Well you see Buffy," Giles began sheepishly as he cleaned his glasses and walked towards her. "Dawn opened a portal and"

"And boom?"

"Yes, well, something like that," Giles stated as he put his glasses on.

"But everyone's okay?"

"We're fine Buffy," William assured her as he walked over to her. He brushed a stray hair out of her face and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Everyone's accounted for."

"Well if everyone is accounted for and no one's hurt, who screamed and why did the windows blow out?"

"I screamed," Anya stated with a smile. As all eyes turned towards her, most in mock amazement. "You would have too! Just look what she did to my shop," she retorted. "And to my hair!"

Buffy had to stifle a laugh. She hadn't noticed it before but the ex-demon's hair was a frizzy mess. It reminded her of the time that she had been electrocuted in high school

"As for the windows," Willow replied as she brushed herself off. "I think Dawn just had a little too much power and couldn't center it correctly." Turning to Dawn and smiling she added, "We can work on that later Dawnie."

"Uhm. Excuse me," Cordelia interjected. "But would someone care to explain what the hell is going on?"

Xander's head shot up at the sound of the voice. "Merciful Zeus," he cried. "As if this night couldn't get any better."

* * *

Wesley drove towards town, trying not to break any land speed records. The last thing he needed was to be pulled over. Time was at a premium now. He needed to get him and Connor to their destination in one piece. Glancing sideways, he noticed that Lilah was scowling. She hadn't said one word to them since they had left his place. That was fine by him, the less she talked the less his head hurt. Up ahead the traffic light turned yellow and instead of slowing down, he pressed harder on the gas pedal. It was a damned good thing he had too, because several of the Master's minions were standing in the middle of the street picking off drivers one by one as they stopped their cars at the lights. It was becoming much worse than he had ever imagined it would.

"Connor," he demanded. "Lie down on the back seat and stay down. The last thing I need right now is for you to be taken."

Connor did as he was told. His mind was racing, more so than usual. Back at the apartment Wesley had insisted that he listen to what he had to say about his father. If what the man had told him was true, then he didn't think he could ever forgive himself for the things he had done in the name of revenge. He had demanded that Wesley prove it to him; that's when the former watcher pulled out a file that contained all of the documentation and showed it to him. If it hadn't been for Lilah's confession, he would have never believed it. Documents could be falsified.

"Nice to see you showing concern for the boy at least," Lilah spat at Wesley, venom coating her voice.

"I could drop you off at the next traffic light if that would suit you?"

She pursed her lips and clenched her jaw. How she hated him right now. For everything. Folding her arms across her chest, she turned her attention back to the road in front of her. Her eyes widened as she recognized the vampire that was now standing on the road in front of them. "Oh my God," she said almost in a whisper.

Wesley narrowed his eyes as he realized whom Lilah was referring to. Applying more pressure to the gas, he steered the car into Gavin. The force and speed of the hit threw the fledgling vampire into the air and up over the roof of the car. Lilah was screaming now.

"Will you please shut up?" He demanded as he continued driving. "I thought you were supposed to be tough, heart of ice, all that other rubbish?"

She was breathing rapidly, either out of anger or shock, she wasn't quite sure. Maybe a little of both. She turned towards Wesley and glared at him. "You son of a bitch."

* * *

Ignoring Cordelia's question, Giles walked over to William. "A moment please," he stated using his head to signal towards the back room.

William nodded and followed the older watcher into the training room, leaving the others behind to fight amongst themselves or to clean up the shop, whichever came first.

While William and Giles disappeared into the back, Lorne moved quickly towards Angel. "Sweetcheeks, I gotta talk to you," he demanded in a charming tone, trying not to rouse suspicion from Dawn. "Now."

Angel stared at the demon. It was the same tone he had used on him earlier when he tried to warn him about Dawn. "What? I'm not going to like it, am I?"

Lorne closed his eyes and shook his head. "Afraid not big guy."

"Wait a minute," Cordelia growled at the two of them. "No one's going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is going on here!"

"She's not even back in Sunnydale two minutes," Xander snarked shaking his head. "And already she's Queen C again. Nice to see some things never change."

"Shut up Donut Boy. I didn't ask for your opinion, now did I?"

"You can't talk to my boyfriend like that," Anya shrieked back at Cordelia. "You - you demon wannabe!"

If it hadn't been for the fact that the world was going to end in less than twenty-four hours, Buffy would have left the two women go at each other. Hell, she would have sold tickets for it, but now was not the time. Sighing, she stepped in between Anya and Cordelia who were now almost toe-to-toe. "Okay you two! That's enough! Everyone. There will be no more ripping each other's throats out; the Master will be doing enough of that later. We have big trouble coming, end of the world trouble, so I would greatly appreciate it if you all would just shut the hell up and clean up the shop!"

Cordelia was about to make one of her old patented remarks when she realized that Angel was glaring at her as well. "Fine," she huffed, walking over to a chair to upright it. "But I'd still like to know what's going on around here."

"I think we all would," Gunn stated dryly as he helped Xander and Angel right the table.

* * *

"Do you think they're killing one another yet?" Giles asked with a mischievous grin.

William laughed. It seemed that Giles only cracked jokes around him, he wasn't totally sure why but he liked to think that it was because he felt relaxed with him. "Could we be so lucky?"

Giles grinned as he leaned up against the wall and removed his glasses. He felt, old and tired. Suddenly, his tone became serious. "William, I'm not going to lie to you. The next twenty-four or so hours are going to be the hardest we've ever faced. I need to know that you're going to stand by Buffy no matter what."

He tilted his head to the side and gave Giles a look of puzzlement. "I'm not sure I'm following you mate."

"I know that you are involved with Cecily and I need to know that your feelings for this woman are not going to"

"Relax Rupert. We're no longer involved."

"What?"

"It's over. I broke it off earlier this evening."

"Why? I mean" He was at a loss for words but then it came to him. Hadn't William kissed Buffy out in the shop? He hadn't been seeing things, had he? After all, he had his glasses off at the time and

"It's simple really," William stated giving him a wide grin. "I love Buffy. She loves me. End of story." He felt good saying it, almost as if the old self-confident, cocky Spike were back.

Giles straightened himself, his eyes searching the blue ones in front of him. "Are you telling me that?"

"Yes, Rupert. Must I spell it out for you? Draw a few pictures?"

"No. Really. No need. Thank you." He began to clean his glasses at a maddening pace.

William noticed the action and chuckled. He was now sure that he didn't need to paint a picture for Giles about what was happening between him and the slayer.

* * *

When William and Giles rejoined the group, the shop was almost spotless and the pizza had been delivered. Buffy was amazed at how easily a little tension, and some food, could get people to work together. Now if she could only get them to all focus on the impending doom, life would be peachy. Well, maybe not peachy, but less doomy for sure. While they were cleaning, and eating, introductions were made and battle lines were drawn. The Scoobies set up camp at the research table while the Fang Gang milled around the counter area, she and Lorne were the only two that seemed to cross lines. So by the time the two watchers finally emerged from the back room, she was more than relieved to see them.

"Giles," Buffy nervously whispered as she took the man aside. "It's not going so well out here. Scoobies and the Fang Gang, not really of the mixy variety."

Even after almost seven years of knowing the girl, there were still days when he just didn't understand a word she said. "Pardon, come again?"

"Tension. Knife. Not even close to cutting."

"Ah, yes. I see. I'm afraid that we're all going to need to work together on this Buffy, if we want to defeat the Master."

"Can't we just find Angel's son, pat them on the back and send them home with cookies? Do we really need their help?"

"We can't and we do."

"Well I suggest you get cracking with announcements about the prophecy then before we all stare one another to death."

"Right. Very well." Taking a deep breath, he walked into the middle of the room where Dawn had stood only an hour before and cleared his throat.

"It's about time," Cordelia remarked from her stool at the counter.

"Thank you Cordelia," he stated dryly with a frown in her direction. "Now before I begin, I want all of you to know that you are not here by accident. Forces greater than ourselves have been moving us like pawns in a cosmic chess game."

"This dude is even more English than English," Gunn observed with a grimace.

"Who's English?" Dawn asked him from across the room.

"Wes"

"A name we don't mention anymore," Cordelia replied, scowling at Gunn.

"May I continue?"

"Sorry dude."

"As I was saying," Giles continued. "We've all been drawn to Sunnydale tonight for a reason. It has been foretold by the ancients that the Drawing of Twelve would occur on the evening before the Last Judgment and by my calculations, the Last Judgment shall begin at sunset tomorrow."

"Yeah. You're right about that one Giles. One of the Master's boys paid Angel and me a visit on our way here. Seems we've been requested to attend a not so fun party at sunset tomorrow."

"It was more of a demand than a request," Angel added with a nod.

"Does this prophecy say how to defeat the Master and keep the Last Judgment from happening?" Buffy asked, despite already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid not Buffy but a part of the prophecy is missing and that part may well contain information as to how we can defeat him."

"Missing?" Xander snorted. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Because there's not much of a brain to surprise in that small head of your's?" Cordelia stated sarcastically.

Lorne tired not to chuckle at Cordelia's remark. He always knew she had a sharp tongue but he never knew her to be like this, perhaps it was the influence of the Hellmouth?

"Cordelia," Xander began. "I see your mouth open but nothing seems to be coming out that's worth listening to"

"That is quite enough," Giles growled. "You two are no longer in high school but you wouldn't know it by the way you're acting. Now just keep your mouths shut so that the rest of us can concentrate on the problem at hand." He glared at one and then the other, driving them into silence.

Before Giles could begin going into the prophecy in greater detail, the door to the shop crashed open and a harried Wesley appeared in the doorway.  


  



	21. Dreamscapes

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning: **These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** The Wolfram & Hart traitor is revealed while the Twelve begin to experience their destinies  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Drawing of the Twelve"_

  
- 21 -  
Dreamscapes

The tensions in the Magic Box increased ten fold when Wesley suddenly announced his presence by crashing through the door. Each side of the shop had their own reasons for their dislike of the scruffy looking man in the doorway. A low, steady growl began to emanate from within Angel; the demon wanting to take over and rip the man apart, the man that had betrayed him in the worst possible way. Lorne reached over and placed a hand on the vampire's shoulder to ground him, let him know that he was still surrounded by those who cared. On the other side of the room, Buffy was already standing, her annoyance with the man written all over her face. He was the last person that she had expected to see this evening and she tensed even more when she saw just who he had brought with him.

"Do you have it?" Giles asked hopefully, heedless of the glares from the group.

Wesley nodded as he harshly pulled Lilah in behind him. Connor followed the woman, his eyes cast downward, not wanting to make contact with anyone in the room, especially not Angel or Dawn.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Xander demanded as he protectively placed his arm around Anya's shoulders.

From his position behind the counter, Angel hadn't seen his son enter behind Lilah. He slowly stood and walked over next to Giles. "If you don't get rid of him, I will." His eyes flashed gold as he tried to keep the demon at bay.

Before Giles could answer him, Cordelia gently placed her hand on his arm. "Angel, look." She nodded towards the doorway where Connor was trying to look inconspicuous.

"Connor?" Angel asked incredulously. When his eyes met with Connor's, the boy quickly looked away. Pain etched its way across the vampire's features. Why was his son with the traitor? Had Wesley taken him away yet again? He would kill the son of a bitch this time if he had.

Dawn rose from her seat and hesitantly walked to the bottom of the stairs, trying to make eye contact with Connor. She needed to know why he had tried to kill Buffy. She needed to know because she was in love with him and just the thought of him trying to play her, ripped her apart inside. "Steven?" She had tried to sound strong but her voice choked out the name instead as her tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

The anguish in her voice brought him out of his thoughts. He wanted to run to her and hold her, to tell her that things would be okay and that he loved her, but he knew that he could not do these things. Not anymore. Not ever again. He had failed on so many levels, this being the worst of all.

"Dawn," Buffy said in protective mode, never taking her eyes off the boy who had tried to kill her earlier. "Get away from him. Now."

"But Buffy"

"I mean it. Now."

"I want you all to take a seat immediately," Giles demanded, tiring of the standoff that was occurring. They had very little time to formulate a plan. When no one moved, his voice took on a menacing tone, one vaguely reminiscent to his Ripper days. "Bloody hell people! I will not tolerate any more of these outbursts. We have things to do and an apocalypse to avert. Now sit the hell down!"

Perhaps it had been his tone or maybe it was the look in his eyes, but those who were out of their seats, quickly sat back down again and were quiet. The trio on the top landing hesitated at first but then found seats as well.

* * *

Giles went to the back, to the corner of the shop where the bookshelves were located and brought out a thick book, along with all of the notes that he, Willow and Tara had made before they passed through the portal into Sunnydale. He used the research table to spread the items out, so he could ensure that he didn't forget to mention anything

"If you'll recall, before Wesley arrived, I was explaining that we were all brought together for a reason. It's called the Drawing of the Twelve. Most everyone in this room will be playing a major part in what is to come. We don't know all of the details or exactly who all twelve are since the prophecy is very vague but we do know a few of the key players. Dawn and Buffy are mentioned by name, the Key and the Slayer."

"How lucky for me," Buffy sighed. "Nice to know I'm always prophecy worthy."

"Hey," Dawn replied. "You're not alone this time."

"Quite right Dawn," Giles continued. "As I said earlier, parts of the prophecy are missing but through some effort, Wesley has been able to secure the rest of it. Hopefully it will shed some light on who the other key players might well be."

That was Wesley's cue to hand over what he had been able to discover in the vaults at Wolfram and Hart.

"Thank you Wesley. Before I continue, I believe that it is absolutely imperative that every one of you understand the role Wesley has played in the translations of the prophecy."

"I really don't care what he did," Angel growled. "He's a traitor. To his friends. To himself. I refuse to work with him. I can't even stand to be in the same room as him!"

"Angel you don't have a choice" Giles began but was interrupted by Wesley.

"It's okay Rupert," he said as he lifted his head to stare boldly at Angel. "I may have made mistakes in the past Angel, but I never set out to hurt you intentionally. Don't you think I haven't had to live with what I did everyday since then? Dole out your best punishment Angel because chances are, it'll be nowhere near to how I've punished myself already."

Angel continued to glare at the man who had taken Connor away from him, but the pain in Wesley's eyes told him that what he had said was true. There was no punishment that he could throw at him that was worse than what that the man hadn't already done to himself. He closed his eyes and turned his head. He could feel Cordelia's hand on his, trying to calm him.

After Wesley had taken his seat again, Giles continued. "Several months ago, Wesley contacted me about what had happened in Los Angeles. At that time, the prophecy was still going through preliminary analysis for authenticity. The members of the Council who were authenticating the document, ran across the mention of a prophecy that was linked to this one; one that they knew was in the possession of Wolfram and Hart. It was then that Wesley and I devised a plan for him to infiltrate their offices and get his hands on the prophecy that we needed." He paused and glared at Lilah. "You gave us the perfect opening."

Lilah's face fell when she realized what Giles was referring to, the night Wesley took her to bed for the first time. She had been played and quite well. If Wesley hadn't been blocking her path to the exit, she would have bolted immediately but she was trapped. She could feel the anger rising in her cheeks but she couldn't act on it. She sat and listened. "You bastard," she stated venomously.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Wesley stated dryly. "But you know how it goesanything to get the job done properly."

"I hope you burn in hell," she yelled at him.

"I believe I'm already there, but if not, be a dear and save me a seat, would you?"

"Let's focus, shall we?" Giles demanded with a growl. "There'll be plenty of time later for everyone to kill one another." He looked around the room; everyone's attention was back on him, or so it seemed. Good. "I'm going to read off the other twelve that are mentioned in the prophecy. We have some idea of who they may be, but it's only our best guess. The remaining twelve are; the Watcher, the Witch, the Loyal, the Demon, the Sorceress, the Prodigy, the Seer, the Champion, the Souled and the Betrayer."

"We think," Willow stated, "that I'm the Witch and that Tara is the Sorceress. Makes sense, right?" Several heads nodded back at her, including Wesley. "We're a little unclear on who the Watcher may be since there are three of you in this room right now."

"Giles has been a watcher the longest," William commented. "He's also the oldest so I say he's probably the one they're referring to."

"I don't believe seniority, or age for the matter," he said, giving William a hard stare, "have anything to do with who each of the Twelve are."

William smiled at his friend and nodded. "Well then, let's have a little brainstorming session to suss out who's who."

"Splendid idea William," Giles said sarcastically. "I don't know why I didn't think of that before."

Fred giggled and Buffy covered a smiled. This didn't have to be all serious, did it?

"Obviously the Souled is Angel," Cordelia interjected trying to add her thoughts into the discussion. "That's a given."

"No," Wesley replied. "It isn't."

* * *

Dawn walked through the sand. Her hair loose and flowing in the gentle breeze. She shielded her eyes from the sun as she tried to take in her surroundings. How had she gotten here? Hadn't she just been listening to Giles talk about the Drawing of the Twelve? Creepy. Slowly she walked on. The sand was warm and soft beneath her bare feet. She felt free, yet there was a sense of urgency nagging at the back of her mind. In the distance, she saw a woman standing with her back to her. The woman's hair gleaned gold in the sun while her white tunic fluttered with the air currents. Suddenly Dawn's heartbeat increased as recognition set in.

"Mom," she called out to the woman in front of her.

Joyce turned to face her daughter, a wide smile covering her face. "My little pumpkin belly," she cried as she held out her arms for Dawn to run in to.

"Mom," Dawn sobbed as she threw herself at her mother, hugging her tightly. "I've missed you so much."

"I know sweetheart. I've missed you too but don't be upset. I'm very happy and at peace."

Dawn hugged her mother tighter to her and cried. "I love you, Mom. Things are so different without you."

"I love you too sweetie. Of course they're different. Nothing is ever meant to stay the same. Dawn, darling, I want you to listen to me, okay? Can you do that?"

Dawn nodded into her mother's chest, still clinging to her.

"Sweetie, look at me," Joyce demanded as she cupped her youngest daughter's chin in her hand and lifted it gently. "The Last Judgment is coming"

"I know. Giles is telling us all about it"

"Then you know it's going to be very dangerous. You have to be strong and you have to have faith in one another in order to defeat him. There's no other way. Believe in yourself and in the others. Can you do that for me?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about"

"I've delivered my message to you Dawn, I have to go"

"No," Dawn screamed trying to reach out to her mother who was now fading away.

"Believe," Joyce whispered as she disappeared.

"Dawn," a voice called to her from behind.

"Steven?" She asked incredulously as she spun around to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not sure but we have to leave." His voice was insistent. There was something wrong, something awful coming for them.

"You do realize that I'm mad at you, right?" She asked him, her voice full of anger and frustration. "You tried to kill Buffy! She's never going to let me see you again and I really don't know if I'll fight her on that. How could you?"

Before he could answer her, they were both suddenly transported to the inside of a cave. Dawn looked around wildly trying to see in the somewhat darkened interior. Had they not just come in from the blinding sunlight, she would have been able to see without problem. Steven instinctively put his arm around her to calm her and protect her. His eyesight was fine. He supposed that was one of the advantages of being born the son of two vampires.

A sound from behind them sent chills down both their spines. "Ah yes and so it has begun. I knew you would come, both of you. It was only a matter of time."

"Who, who are you?" Dawn demanded, terrified of the voice.

"I am the beginning and the end. The alpha and the omega," the voice laughed evilly.

"Show yourself!" Steven demanded. "Are you a coward?"

"Far from it my boy," the Master stated as he stepped out of the shadows.

Dawn gasped while Steven struck a defensive posture.

"I think you two shall be the most fun. I just love young ones. So innocent. So sweet." He lunged for Dawn and sank his teeth into her neck. All Steven could do was stand helplessly and watch.

* * *

"No," Dawn and Connor both shouted as they woke from their dream. Their screaming startled everyone.

"Dawn, what's wrong?" Buffy asked urgently, reaching for her sister who had fallen asleep at the table.

Dawn stood up abruptly and gazed at Connor. The two locked eyes and stared at each other intently, questioningly, acknowledging that they had indeed just shared the vision.

"II mean wewe just had a vision of the Master," Dawn sputtered. "How?"

Giles took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. It had started, right in front of them. There was no turning back or stopping it now. The best they could do was hope and pray that they could defeat the Master. "This is how we are to be called. In dreams and visions. Steven is to be your partner then. The prophecy states that those who are called will be partnered with another of the Twelve."

"Let me get this straight," Gunn interrupted, frowning. "I'm gonna have a vision of this bad ass ugly creature? He's gonna come crawling around in my mind? I don't remember signing up for anything like this."

"I'm sorry young man," Giles said softly with a smile. "I cannot remember your name"

"Gunn. Charles Gunn."

"Mr. Gunn, I'm not certain of anything but I do know this, there are sixteen of us in this shop, only twelve are being called. My guess is that you are not one of them."

Gunn took a deep breath and sighed. "Thank God for that!"

Giles chuckled softly and continued. "We need to continue with the task of eliminating the possibilities"

Cordelia stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Well I for one want to know what Wesley meant when he said that Angel wasn't necessarily the Souled guy."

All eyes turned to Wesley and waited for his explanation.   



	22. To Shanshu in Sunnydale

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** A surprise is revealed that sends reverberations through the group while the Twelve continue to be called  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Dreamscapes"_

  
- 22 -  
To Shanshu in Sunnydale

Wesley cleared his throat and tried not to look too nervous about what he was about to reveal. It was an understatement, to say the least that the information he had uncovered at Wolfram and Hart, was going to send shockwaves through certain members of the group. There was a part of him that feared the repercussions. There would still be a purpose for this individual, just not what they had originally thought. He worried that, as a result, backs would be turned on the Powers That Be and all hope would be lost.

"Well Wesley?" Xander prodded impatiently. "Gonna tell us why Angel isn't soul boy after all?"

"Right," he croaked, his throat suddenly dry. He nervously looked towards Giles for permission to take over their little session. After getting the nod, he began. "The Souled is one who is tied closely to a second prophecy." He then turned to the group at the counter. "Most of you are aware of the Shanshu prophecy."

"I think we all know what it is," Fred replied, speaking for the group.

"Then it means that Angel is definitely the Souled," Cordelia blurted out.

Angel searched Wesley's eyes; the man's face wasn't reflecting his true thoughts. Suddenly he felt a sense of dread. "No," he said quietly. "It isn't me."

"But why not?" Cordelia demanded. "You have a soul, duh, hence being the Souled. Plus Shanshu, that's you too."

"I'm afraid not Cordelia," Wesley stated, lowering his eyes and turning away from his former employer. "In order for this vampire to be the Souled, he must already be human."

"Someone care to explain what this sushi stuff is all about?" Buffy inquired, folding her arms across her chest, her curiosity peaked. The whole Fang Gang was starting to get on her nerves. It was too bad she couldn't just send them packing back to Los Angeles.

"It's a prophecy about Angel," Cordelia huffed. "About him becoming human."

"What?" Buffy demanded, eyes wide. "You're supposed to become human? You never told me about that!"

"I didn't think it was necessary"

"You didn't think it was necessary," she yelled at him. "How long have you known about this?"

"It doesn't really matter," Wesley growled, interrupting the shouting match that had erupted in the room. "The Shanshu has already taken place."

"It has?" Buffy asked in shock.

"What?" Cordelia demanded as she poked at Angel. "If you're human and you haven't told anyone buddy, you're in big trouble!"

"Cordelia, I'm not human," the vampire assured her trying to hide his pain.

"But then who?" She asked looking around the room frowning. "All vampires are accounted for"

"No they aren't," Buffy whispered, her eyes wide. The Scoobies turned their attention towards William.

* * *

William sat in stunned silence as the pieces started falling into place. He had only been half listening at first since the cheerleader was yapping and doing her rah-rah thing for Angel. Now he wished he had been paying closer attention. Everyone was staring at him, including those on the other side of the room. He felt like he was on display, a freak in a sideshow exhibit.

"Spike's the Souled?" Xander asked incredulously.

"Spike doesn't even have a soul," Cordelia began impatiently, continuing her crusade to convince everyone that Angel was the proper choice for the position.

"Yes he does," Buffy said quietly as she took William's hand, conveying her love for him in one bright smile.

"Are you sure about this Wesley?" Angel asked, almost begged.

"It's true," Lorne responded before Wesley could.

Angel frowned at his friend. "How do you know?"

"He sang for me."

"I didn't sing for anyone," William shot back.

"Okay so sang isn't the right word," Lorne sighed, rolling his eyes. "Semantics. Adonis over there hummed for me. Everything Wesley is saying is true. We've all made a terrible mistake about the Shanshu prophecy being for you, well not all of us, but that's besides the point."

"But you've heard me sing," Angel stated, confusion coating his voice. 

William began to chuckle and then laughed heartily. "Just trying to picture peaches singing a song. Woulda paid money for that!"

Buffy swatted at him playfully. "Be nice," she said trying not to giggle as well.

Ignoring the conversation around him, Angel's mood turned dark and broody. "How could the Powers?"

"Sweetcakes, listen to me," Lorne soothed. "There is a higher purpose for you. You're still the champion of the Powers. I have no doubt that you'll have your reward in the end."

Angel frowned. He felt lost, his center of being suddenly pulled out of him. What did all of this mean for him? Was he doomed to be a vampire forever despite his retributions? A part of him wanted to scream out in anguish and the other part, his demon part, wanted to destroy everything within his reach. Suddenly he was brought out of his thoughts by a cheery voice from the other side of the room.

"I suppose we just figured out who the Champion is," Tara smiled, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

"Indeed we have," Wesley agreed with a nod.

"Hold up there English," Gunn said with confusion in his voice. "You telling me that the man here is not going to become human 'cause the prophecy has already happened?"

"Precisely," Giles replied stepping into the conversation.

"Oh, I get it," Cordelia said smirking as she folded her arms across her chest. Then she scowled. "No I don't. I need some enlightenment here"

Xander laughed. "Ya know, for a half demon"

"And former higher being," Dawn chimed in.

"you're not all that bright are you?" Xander continued with a grin.

* * *

Cordelia blinked hard at the young man that had been her boyfriend once upon a time. What had she ever seen in him? Clearly, he was all wrong for her, she saw that now. He was definitely not as handsome or as strong as her dark knight. No wonder all of her so-called friends had thought her pathetic when it came to Xander Harris. He was nothing then and he was still nothing now, all wrapped up in that ex-demon who was much too clingy for her liking. If her time in L.A. had taught her anything, it was that she was much too good for Xander and much too good for Sunnydale. Oh yeah, she definitely made the better choice this time around. Wait. Why wasn't Angel coming to her defense? Why wasn't he putting Xander in his place? She was a higher being now - former higher being, she reminded herself - and she deserved to be treated as such.

"You're just jealous Xander," she said sarcastically and with a sweet smile, trying to cover the pain she was feeling from Angel's lack of attention. "I became someone important while you stayed here in Sunnydale and became even more of a loser than you were in high school."

Xander said nothing in return; he just shook his head and closed his eyes. She never ceased to amaze him.

"I think we're gonna have to draw Cordelia some pictures," Buffy grinned. "Giles, why don't you get out the white board and we'll start with the basics. Oh and make sure you don't go too fast for her, wouldn't want to leave the higher being behind."

Everyone in the Scooby group chuckled at Buffy's remark but it was William that spoke up to defend her. "Buffy, luv, please. We have more things to worry about than the cheerleader's insecurities." He turned to Cordelia. "Let me make this simple," he continued, pointing to himself. "Went to Africa for a soul. Passed the trials. Found out I already had one. Asked the demon to make me what I was and he did. Now I'm human. End of story. Understand?"

"Uhhhh, yeah. I guess," Cordelia said with a frown. "Only one question."

"Yes, pet?" He asked in a rushed voice, suddenly becoming annoyed with all of the focus turned on him.

"Where did you get your soul? I mean did Willow make with the magic and curse you?"

"That's a very good question," Angel concurred. "I'm interested in hearing the answer to that myself."

William shrugged his shoulders. "No idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea," Angel roared at him, his eyes flashing yellow with his anger. He was standing next to the former vampire in a flash, his fists balled against his legs, trying hard to keep his demon in check. "Vampires just aren't given souls."

"I bloody don't know how I got it, alright? So back off peaches. Just because I'm not a vampire anymore doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."

"I know how," Wesley stated quietly, looking down at his feet. His voice had barely been audible but Angel had caught it and so had Buffy.

"How did it happen, Wes, how?" Angel demanded with a growl.

* * *

Wesley took a step back from Angel. He could feel the anger rolling off of the vampire. "The Powers That Be gave him his soul after Buffy died." He took a deep breath, knowing that his next few sentences would only add to Angel's anguish. "There was more to the Shanshu prophecy than what we had, Angel. I found more in the vaults at Wolfram and Hart."

"That impossible. I burned it."

"You burned a copy," Lilah sneered at him. "A forgery. The original was safe and sound in my files."

If Wesley hadn't stepped in between the two, he was sure that Angel would have ripped her head off. "Angel, we had no idea of knowing, without the second part, that the prophecy wasn't meant for you. If we'd had it, we certainly would have known that it was referring to William the Bloody. I'm sorry, Angel." His heart went out to the vampire.

"What makes him so god-damned more important, huh?" Angel raged as he pushed William, making the man stumble and almost fall. Buffy was there to support him, to keep him from falling as he had done so many times for her after she'd been brought back from the dead.

"Don't touch him again Angel. I mean it."

Angel backed off after seeing the anger in her eyes. It was true. She really did have everything now, everything that he could never give her. Quietly he went back to his seat, turning his back to the others.

"Wes, please tell us the rest of the prophecy," Buffy begged. She needed to hear it. She needed to hear why the Powers had given Spike his soul and why it had to do with her.

Wesley recognized the need for information in her eyes. He walked over to where William stood, still in utter shock over the whole revelation. "The Powers gave you a soul because you performed a selfless act. You made a promise to the Slayer before her death and you honored that promise, whatever it was," he paused, hoping that William would elaborate.

William raised his hand and caressed Buffy's cheek, all the while looking into her eyes. "I made a promise to a lady," he choked out in a whisper. It was such a simple promise, but he had made it in good faith and he had kept it out of love, love for the woman he thought he'd never have, or see again.

Dawn sat at the table watching the exchange, smiling and with tears running down her cheeks. She knew what that promise had been and it made her heart swell with love and admiration for the one time vampire. No one deserved to receive a soul more than Spike. She was so proud.

Wesley cleared his throat and continued, realizing that no more words were going to come out of William at this time. "However, it wasn't just the promise that you kept that gave you your soul, it was your continued fight on the side of good that secured it. The prophecy stated that you would be faced with a choice after the death of the Slayer. The first choice would continue to lead you down the path of damnation and the second choice"

"Redemption and restoration," William said softly.

"Correct. Shanshu. Therefore, you, Spike, are the Souled."

"And he and Buffy are paired," Giles added. "They've been sharing dreams about the Master for weeks now."

"The prophecy foretold that as well. I'm sorry that I couldn't get word to you Rupert, I just couldn't risk it."

"No, I understand. It was more important for us to have the document and you alive than to have you dead and nothing to show for it."

"Don't worry," Lilah seethed. "He'll be dead soon enough."

"Give it a rest already honey," Lorne sighed. "No one really cares what you have to say."

"I'll agree with that one," Gunn added with grimace.

Suddenly the room erupted into an outburst of curses and accusations.

While most everyone was engaged in a war of words with the woman from the law firm, Willow watched in awe as Cordelia floated, a light emanating from within her. "Uh, would someone care to explain why Cordy's gone all glowy and is floating?"

"It's a vision thing," Fred replied as everyone turned his or her attention to Cordelia. "She gets like this when the powers are sending her a message."

"I hope they're sending her an instruction booklet on how to defeat the Master," Dawn commented as she watched the glowing woman from across the room.

No one noticed the glazed look on Angel's face or the fact that he was talking to himself until he started screaming. "Cordelia! No!"  



	23. Visions & Delusions

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** A heart wrenching father and son moment occurs; Lorne devises a plan to help decipher the prophecy while an unexpected admission is made  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "To Shanshu in Sunnydale"_

  
- 23 -  
Visions & Delusions

Cordelia continued to float several feet off the ground, her glow becoming brighter and stronger, as Angel's screams became louder and more persistent. Gunn pulled Fred out of her seat next to Angel and put an arm around her protectively, slowly backing up in fear of what was occurring. Everyone was now on their feet, staring at the couple that was obviously receiving the vision meant for them.

>Lilah looked around nervously. She thought working at Wolfram and Hart could be disconcerting, but just being here in Sunnydale was worse. She needed to get out of here, out of this city, maybe even this state. Quickly. She began sliding towards the door, figuring that no one would notice her leaving amid the chaos. Before she could get two feet away, Wesley grabbed her arm, yanking her back towards him.

"Going somewhere?" He demanded, tightening his grip on the woman's arm.

"Not anymore I guess," she sheepishly replied. Damn. Usually nothing could make her feel so insignificant but Wesley had a way about him that made her feel absolutely filthy.

"Giles, shouldn't we stop this?" Buffy demanded, concern coating every word. All of her senses were trained on Angel and Cordelia, leaving her unaware of what was taking place elsewhere in the room.

"No, they're perfectly fine," Giles responded calmly as he held Buffy's elbow to keep her from interrupting. "They have to receive their message without the rest of us interfering. It'll be fine."

William slowly moved behind Buffy and encircled her waist with his strong arms. Whispering in her ear he said, "It's all right luv. They'll be fine. You and I always are after our visions. He can't hurt them yet." He could feel her relax against him. This night was taking a toll on everyone, especially her. And it was only the beginning.

"Are you sure they're okay?" Fred asked in a frightened tone as she leaned into Gunn and grabbed Lorne's arm. Her world felt like it was spinning out of control. What would she do if something were to happen to Angel? To Cordy? Angel saved her from hell, gave her a place to live and comforted her and Cordelia befriended her when she felt alone. It was true that she had Gunn now, but she needed them to be okay. They were her family now and she loved them both more than she could ever express.

Suddenly, Cordelia dropped to the floor in a heap while Angel slid off his seat and onto the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Fred was at Cordelia's side in seconds trying to assess if her friend was hurt in any way. "Cordelia? Cordy? Can you hear me?"

Cordelia moaned softly and felt herself being rolled on her back. Images of the Master still enveloped her mind. She was afraid to open her eyes; afraid that he would be standing in front of her and that it hadn't been a dream. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Cordelia, please open your eyes! Say something!" Fred pleaded, gently shaking her.

"Is she dead?" Gunn asked, trying to keep the panic that he felt out of his voice. "Try mouth to mouth."

"She's not dead silly," Fred stated with some annoyance. "She's just unconscious."

"Are you sure?" Willow inquired as she peered down at the former cheerleader, horror etched on her ashen face. "She looks dead."

Xander took a deep breath. "Okay, everyone stand back," he stated with authority, spreading his arms out to move those closest to him and trying to take control of the situation. "I'm gonna try mouth to mouth."

"Anyone giving me mouth to mouth is going to find themselves in a heap on the other side of the room," Cordelia declared, sitting up and holding her head in her hands.

Fred laughed and hugged her friend tightly. The group around Cordelia breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Are you alright sweetie?" Lorne asked as he kneeled down next to her. "That one looked like it packed quite a punch."

"Yeah. I'm fine," she replied as she rubbed her temples. "God that was wicked. It all felt so real. He's still just as ugly as he was six years ago."

"You're telling me," Buffy cringed. "At least he didn't kill you."

"Not yet anyway," Xander deadpanned.

"Very funny," Cordelia sneered back at him. "Hey," she started, realizing that Angel hadn't come to her aid, "where's Angel? Is he okay?"

In all their worries over Cordelia, no one had bothered to check on Angel.

Buffy shrugged. "I just figured since he wasn't dust, he wasn't dead."

"That's comforting," Cordelia retorted as Fred and Lorne helped her stand up. "Since I'm fine, would it be too much to ask for you to check on Angel?" She hoped that Buffy caught the sarcasm in her voice; she knew the others had, although with Buffy, you just never knew if the girl understood anything you were saying to her or not.

Rolling her eyes, Buffy began to walk towards Angel's prone form but stopped short when she saw Connor cradling his father's head, tears slipping down his cheeks.

* * *

"Angel?" Connor asked as he leaned over his father's body. He couldn't tell if the vampire was okay or not since there wasn't any breathing but as Buffy had pointed out, Angel wasn't dust so he must still be alive. He had watched in horror as his father had screamed out in obvious pain and then slipped to the floor. When everyone else had gone to the aid of Cordelia, he had silently joined his father on the ground. Gently, he shook Angel's shoulders. No response. How could he have been so wrong about everything? How could he have believed all the lies that Justine and Holtz had told him? Despite his best efforts, his tears began to flow silently as his guilt overwhelmed him.

Buffy backed up slowly and motioned for the others to observe what was occurring. She was amazed that this stone-cold teen was showing any emotion other than bitterness or hatred. On the one hand, she wanted him to pay for trying to kill her and on the other, his fear and grief tugged at her heart. She felt as if she were intruding on a private moment between father and son. She was sure that the others probably felt the same way.

Hesitantly, Dawn took a step forward but William stopped her, shaking his head slowly, indicating that this was not something she should be involved in right now. She nodded her response and turned her head. If she couldn't comfort him, she didn't want to see his pain.

"Dad?" Connor begged trying not to panic. He felt horrible about everything he had done, not only to Buffy and Dawn but to his father as well. "Father, please wake up. I need to tell you how sorry I am. For everything."

A solitary tear fell on Angel's face as the boy cried his name over and over again. Slowly, Angel sat up and wrapped his arms around his sobbing son. If his heart could beat, he was sure that it would be breaking by now. After Cordelia had saved him from a watery grave, all he had wanted to do was to confront Connor and ask him why. But now, now all he wanted to do was to hold and comfort him.

"Please forgive me father. I didn't know"

"Shhhhhh, Connor. It's okay," Angel soothed, trying to calm his son. "It's all right. We'll get through this."

"But I tried to kill you and Buffy. I did it because I thought you killed my fath-Holtz. Justine made me think you did and I believed her" His sobs were beyond heart wrenching as he poured out his guilt.

Cordelia ran to the two forms on the ground and pulled them both into an embrace. "Shhhhh," she whispered, trying to console them as she gently rocked them back and forth. She struggled with her own tears while father and son cried together. "It's all going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay."

Quietly the others slipped into the back room to give the three some much-needed private time.

* * *

Buffy paced the training room while the others watched. She tired desperately to put the pieces of the prophecy together but was having a hard time doing so since she was exhausted.

"Luv? Buffy?" William softly asked, trying to get her attention. It hadn't worked. If he didn't get her to sit down soon, she was going to wear a hole in the floor from her pacing. It also wasn't helping the others' nervousness either. Finally, he strolled over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. The action brought her out of her thoughts.

"What?" She asked with a dazed look on her face.

"Luv, I need you to sit down. You're making the others even more nervous than they already are"

"I'm sorry. I'm just thinking"

"I know. We're going to get through this, luv. Now please, let's sit down."

Giles watched from across the room as William deftly handled his slayer. He was quite impressed with the man Spike had become over the past few months. Training William to become Buffy's watcher had been a brilliant idea on his part. The two worked well together. Quietly he approached the couple that was now sitting on the floor in front of the pommel horse. Crouching down next to them, he whispered, "We need to go somewhere to rest and do research. Nothing's going to get done here."

William nodded in agreement. The Magic Box would be the ideal spot for research but there wasn't a comfortable place for people to sleep.

"We can go back to my house," Buffy stated in a monotone voice. She felt detached from everything around her. "Sleep in shifts. You, Wes and William can do research in the dining room. I'm sure Will and Tara can help you too."

"Excellent idea, Buffy," Giles commented as he put patted her shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"Well, let's see: in the last twenty-four hours I've had to search for my sister, beat up Willy for information, kill several fledglings, got a message from my dead mother, had to defend myself for my choice in boyfriend, was nearly killed by Steven who turned out to be Angel's son Connor, was attacked by one of the Master's minions, nearly had the life scared out of me thinking something had happened to my sister when you guys came through the portal and I've had to deal with the gang from Los Angeles. All in all, I think I'm holding up pretty well. What do you think?"

Giles gave her a small smile as he squeezed her shoulder. "As I was saying, rest is in order"

Before Giles could finish his sentence, the door leading to the shop opened and Cordelia, followed by Angel and Connor, entered the training room. All three looked as if they had been to hell and back, several times over.

Buffy stood to acknowledge their presence. "Good. Now that everyone's here, let's get down to business. We're going to head back to my place." She turned towards the group of Watchers who were standing off to her left. "Giles, you and Wes grab everything you need to do research."

They nodded back at her and started heading towards the shop to gather the pertinent information.

Turning towards her group of friends, she stated, "We'll sleep in shifts. First shift will be Dawn, Willow and Tara. We're going to need you three well rested and ready to go by tomorrow night. Cordy, you might want to catch some sleep too. It looks like your vision took a lot out of you."

"Understatement of the day," Cordelia replied with a nod, relieved that she didn't have to ask to be in the first shift of sleepers. She was exhausted. If it wasn't for the fact that Angel was holding her up, she would have passed out by now.

"The rest of you," Buffy continued, now in complete Slayer mode, "will help Giles, William and Wes with the research. I don't think we're in any immediate danger since the Master needs us all alive for tomorrow night, well most of us anyway, but if you think you may not be able to help with the research, I'll give you weapons and you can stand guard. Oh, except for you Lilah, we'll tie you to a chair somewhere. Any questions?"

Everyone nodded back at her in unison as Lilah rolled her eyes.

"Good. Let's go."

* * *

The trip to the Summers' home had been made in complete silence. William, Angel, Wes, Giles and Buffy brought up the rear of the group, making sure that nothing could attack them from behind while Xander helped Gunn look after the renegade lawyer. Upon reaching the house, Dawn headed straight to her room while Willow and Tara went to theirs and Buffy made Cordelia comfortable in her room. The three watchers spread out their books and what not on the dining room table, delving immediately into researching the prophecy. In the living room the remaining group, plus a secured Lilah, tried to relax.

"I feel so useless," Xander muttered, mostly to himself but those sitting around him heard as well.

"You're not the only one dude," Gunn replied with a sigh. "Why can't we just go after this Master thing now, take him out before the Judgment?"

"Probably because he's protected," Anya responded matter of factly. "Not only is he protected by all of the minions he's managed to create but he's probably protected by magic as well. The Last Judgment is a serious thing. I'd imagine that none of us would get very far before being killed."

Xander looked at his girlfriend in complete awe. "Anya, why didn't you tell us that you knew anything about this?"

"No one asked," she added shrugging. "Besides, I really don't know much other than rumors and legend and those aren't enough to help sort out anything."

"How do you even know about this?" Fred asked, intrigued that someone other than Wesley might have any knowledge of these types of things.

"Anya used to be a demon" Xander replied.

"You were a demon?" Gunn asked incredulously, eyes wide.

"Ex-vengeance demon," she corrected with a smile.

Gunn let out a low whistle. "And I thought we were a messed up group."

Connor tried not to smile at Gunn's remark as he took a seat on the floor in front of the couch.

Lorne had been listening to the exchange as he looked around the living room, his eyes coming to rest on the stereo. "Lookie what we have here," he said with a grin.

"No," Gunn cried out. "Uh uh. No way."

"What?" Xander asked with a frown. "It's just a stereo."

"Dude, you have no idea what that means to this guy."

The green demon stood up and started rummaging around the CDs. "Oh! Celine Dion! Did I tell you I met her in Vegas? She's fabulous."

"I don't think Buffy would be happy with you playing anything by her," Xander stated with a cringe. "It's a former roommate from hell kinda thing."

Lorne let out an exaggerated sigh. Taking another quick peek, his smiled widened. "Even better."

"Oh no!" Gunn exclaimed. "What did you find now?"

"Okay people. Let's do some Livin' La Vida Loca! Everybody gets to sing!"

"What?" Xander demanded waving his hands back and forth in front of him in a negative way. "I'm not singing. No way you're going to get me to sing. Are you delusional?"

"Look, you want to help figure out who's involved in this prophecy or not? It would save those exhausted men over there some time."

Xander looked towards the dining room and sighed. "Fine. But I'm not singing Ricky Martin!"

* * *

In the backyard, Buffy sat quietly on the bench looking at the stars. She had excused herself from the research table to come out here to think. Her and research were not of the good. Of course, she had to practically tie William to his chair since he was so insistent on accompanying her outside. She understood that he was just concerned for her safety and well-being but she could take care of herself. Both she and Giles had made the case that the Master needed her alive and well in order for the Last Judgment to be completed on time. Begrudgingly, William had finally agreed to stay and help Giles and Wesley. Thank God. All she wanted was a little alone time, time to come to terms with the fact that she was probably going to die, again, for yet a third time. Didn't they always say the third time is the charm? What exactly did that mean? She wasn't exactly feeling the charm, that's for sure.

"I know you're standing there," she stated with some amusement to the vampire who was now lurking in the shadows.

"I figured you'd be able to sense me. Just thought I'd kinda hang back, in case you might need anything."

"Like backup?"

"Maybe," he replied, stepping towards her and giving her his patented half grin.

"I can take care of myself you know."

Hesitantly he sat down next to her on the bench and looked into her eyes. "I know." He sighed. So much had happened today, he didn't know where to start. "Buffy, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" She asked with a frown. "For what?"

"For not telling you about Connor or the Shanshu prophecy. Basically for everything."

"There's no need for apologies, Angel," she said smiling at him. It was nice being able to talk to him like this again. She hadn't realized how much she had really missed it until now. "There's a lot I didn't tell you either. It's all bridge with water running under it."

Angel snorted and shook his head. She was amazing. Suddenly he felt like he was complete again. Whole. "Buffy," he said, almost in a whisper. "Ithere's something I need to tell you."

Buffy raised her eyebrows, noticing the seriousness in his tone. What more could he possibly tell her? Hadn't they already said everything there was to say earlier? "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine" He took an unneeded breath and looked up at the stars. "No, it's not fine." Pulling her hand into his and looking into her eyes, he said, "Buffy, despite everything that has happened over the last few years, I've never stoppedwhat I'm trying to say is" Damnit. He felt like such a fool.

"Angel? Whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?"

"Buffy, I love you."  



	24. Sing A Song

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Buffy is stunned by Angel's admission while Lorne and the others try to figure out the prophecy through song  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Visions & Delusions"_

  
- 24 -  
Sing A Song

The insistent sound of bass pounded through the house as the three men sat at the table in the dining room trying to make sense of some long forgotten prophecy. Their faces betrayed their exhaustion, especially Giles, who had been up for almost forty-eight hours now. At first, they had tried to ignore the sound, give those in the living room the benefit of the doubt, but soon it was just too much to bear. Wesley covered his ears while he tried to translate the text in front of him, his head pounding in time with the sound coming from the other room. He glanced up at the former vampire sitting in front of him to see what his reaction was to the noise; surely he would be offended as well. Shock registered on his face when he saw William's head bobbing in time with the music.

"What is that bloody awful noise?" The older watcher demanded finally, somewhat exasperated.

"Certainly not Schubert or Beethoven," Wesley replied with a frown. He'd soon have to go look for some aspirin for his headache if this kept up.

Giles slowly shook his head as he took off his glasses. "Whatever it is, it's dreadful."

"Oh please," William retorted, grinning at his two companions. "Listen to you two blokes. It's called music."

"Yes, William. I realize that it's music but why on earth are they playing it? The others are upstairs trying to sleep. Now is not the time to be 'partying down'."

William snorted. "I'm sure they're just trying to blow off some steam, Rupert."

"Hardly," Wesley stated dryly as he tried to turn his attentions back to his book. "It's probably Lorne just trying to get everyone to sing so that he can readGood God!" He declared as his head shot up and his eyes widened in realization. "That's it!"

"That's what?" Giles inquired, somewhat annoyed with the man who seemed to be speaking in puzzles.

"Lorne. Bloody brilliant," Wesley stated with a chuckle. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before. It's quite simple. Lorne gets them to sing and then reads them."

"Reads them? Like he did me earlier?"

"Precisely William. If he can read them, he can find out who is, and is not, a player in this prophecy. Of course, it won't tell us a thing about how to stop the Master but it will give us some insight into the pairings."

"What are we still sitting here for then?" William asked as he stood. "I believe the music is calling us"

"It's not music," Giles insisted as he followed the younger watcher into the living room. "Bay City Rollers, now that's music."

* * *

Outside, the trees swayed to their own music in the soft breeze; the sound of their leaves rustling together was soothing and melodic. The night was cool and clear, enough so that the stars were clearly visible. There were thousands upon thousands of them, twinkling brightly in the night sky. This had been the reason she had come out here to begin with, to lose herself in the stars and the sounds of the night but now she was sitting on the bench, next to Angel, staring incredulously at him.

"Come again?" She croaked. She was sure she had heard him wrong. Her heart began to pound and she felt as if she was going to be sick.

Angel tightened his grip on her hand. He had expected this reaction but he still wasn't prepared to see the shock on her face. "Buffy, I'm still in love you. I don't think I've ever stopped."

"Are you delusional?"

"What?"

"Delusional. You know; the act of being deluded."

"I'm not delusional, Buffy. For the first time in years, I'm seeing things so clearly. I should have never left you. I should have stayed with you; things would have been so different for you, for us, if I had. I wanted to tell you because after tomorrow nightwell, I may not get the chance."

Her body felt numb. She was sure that if he wasn't holding her hand, anchoring her to this world that she would just drift away to join the stars in the heavens. How long had she waited for him to say these things? How many times had she dreamed of his return? Now, here he was, sitting next to her, telling her everything she had always longed to hear. Her mind reeled. She closed her eyes and tried to reign in her thoughts. His name was all that managed to tumble from her lips as he leaned in to kiss her.

* * *

Lorne sat comfortably on the couch, one hand on the armrest, tapping in time to the rhythm and the other draped over the back behind Anya. His left leg was crossed over his right and his foot swung slowly to the beat. He closed his eyes as he listened to Gunn try to sing the song he had chosen. Who'd have thought that this young man from the streets of L.A. would harbor a secret such as this? If it weren't for the fact that the puzzle pieces needed to be put together quickly, he would have been giving his friend a hard time about his choice of music. As it was, it was taking all that he had to keep from chuckling out loud. 

Nervously Gunn stumbled over the words. Before he had put on the CD, he had threatened bodily harm to the first person that laughed at him. It was good that he wasn't as insecure about this as most guys his age. This was a serious time and serious times called for some serious music. Closing his eyes, he began swaying with the music as he continued to sing. "I've been searching, deep down in my soul; words that I'm hearing are starting to get old" He really loved this song; it called to his soul. "It feels like, I'm starting all over again, the last three years, were just pretend, and I said" Michelle Branch could really belt out a blues tune. "Goodbye to you, goodbye to everything, I thought I knew. You were the one that I loved, the one thing that, I tried to hold on to"

Fred watched in amazement as her boyfriend's voice entranced her. There was so much more to him than anyone would see at first glance. He wasn't your typical boy from the 'hood. He was strong, confident, and tender. She swelled with pride knowing that she was his.

"Alright blues boy," Lorne interrupted. "You can stop. You're not one of the chosen."

Gunn continued to sing along; oblivious that anyone had just spoken to him. "I used to get lost in your eyes" He stopped only when he heard the group break into laughter. "Hey!" He shouted. "I thought I said I'd kill the first person that laughed at me?"

"Sorry bro," Fred giggled. "Lorne said you could stop but you just kept right on going."

Gunn cocked his head to the side and placed his hands on his hips. "I thought I told you that you couldn't use that word?"

Everyone laughed again as Lorne cleared his throat. He was sure the boy was blushing, even if they couldn't tell. "Sit down G. As I said, you're not one of them. Who's next?"

Fred shyly raised her hand. "I'll go." She walked over to the CD collection and flipped through the selections. Finally, settling on one, she popped the player open and placed the disc into the drive. She wasn't sure why she had agreed to do this. The last time she sang for Lorne, all hell had broken loose at his club. She was concerned the same thing would happen now.

As the music started, Gunn's eyes widened in recognition. Was she really going to do this? Clearly, she had gone insane. He watched, mouth agape, while Xander and Anya exchanged amused looks.

Fred smiled coyly at Gunn and then began her song. "Two trailer park girls go round the outside, round the outside, round the outside"

"What on earth?" Lorne asked with a frown. This song would do his head in for sure. Such a shame that poor girl didn't know any Ricky Martin songs. She had been in Pylea far too long, missed too many good tunes.

Connor laughed as he watched Gunn squirm at Fred's choice in songs. He would have never guessed that this quiet girl could even sing, let alone sing Eminem.

Fred continued with the song, adding some dance moves as well. "Guess who's back, back again. Shady's back, tell a friend" She could tell that Charles wanted to crawl into a hole. The thought made her smile so she danced in front of him, gyrating to the beat.

"What in God's name are you doing?" Giles demanded from the doorway.

* * *

Angel was vaguely aware of the chirping crickets as they provided the background music for his attempted reconciliation with Buffy. It seemed to him that they were whispering to him, telling him to unburden his heart to her. He hadn't realized that the words had come out in a rush or that he was shaking. All that mattered was the look in her eyes. He knew there was a part of her that felt the same way that he did, the same burning desire to be together. He just needed to connect with that part, make her understand. Before he knew what he was doing, he had leaned over to kiss her.

Slowly she leaned in to meet him, unaware of her surroundings and still feeling as if she was floating. She was lost in his eyes; so much like old times.

"Buffy, I" he whispered as his eyes lowered, noticing her lips moving closer to his.

Suddenly their mouths met in a searing kiss. All the pain, passion and regret of the past poured out through their lips. Before Buffy knew it, Angel had pulled her on to his lap. She could feel his need for her growing. This was wrong. So wrong. Pulling free from his arms, she stood up and moved away from him, covering her mouth with her hand.

He watched her back away from him, shock reflecting in her eyes. As she turned, he reached out to her, wanting to pull her back. "Buffy"

"Don't. Don't say a word."

"But Buffy"

"How dare you? How dare you come back here after all this time and say these things? What about Cordelia?"

"How did youhow do you know about Cordy?"

"I may be blonde, Angel, but I'm not stupid. I see the way she looks at you and the way you look at her when you think I'm not looking."

"I don't love her."

"Like hell you don't. You certainly don't love me."

"I do love you Buffy. I always have. How many times do I have to say it?"

"You can say it all you want, Angel. But you don't mean it. You're just in love with the idea of loving me. Not more than three hours ago you were ready to tell me about Cordelia but then you stopped yourself because you just couldn't handle the thought that I was happy with Spike. God forbid that Spike be allowed to have happiness. That's what this is all about, isn't Angel? Trying to reclaim something that was yours because you don't think Spike is worthy enough to have it?"

"No!" He yelled at her as he grabbed her arm, looking deeply into her eyes. "This has nothing to do with Spike. This has everything to do with you and me. I love you Buffy, I always will."

"I don't love you, Angel. I'm in love with Spike and I have been for a very long time now. He was here for me, when my mom got sick, when she died, when I died and came back. He's been here for me through the worst time of my life. Where were you when all of those things happened?"

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Buffy I'm sorry but"

"But you did what you needed to do. I know that. I'm not holding it against you anymore," she said quietly, regaining control in her voice. "I'm just saying that he's been there for me. He's never left. Well, other than to go get a soul, but still, my point ishe's never left me. Even when I pushed him away and beat the total crap out of him, he stayed. Why? At first, I thought it was because he liked the pain but now I know it's because he loves me and he believes in me more than you ever did or ever could." Her eyes flashed with anger. She needed to make him understand that he no longer held the same place in her heart that he once did.

"That's not fair, Buffy. I gave you space to find a normal life."

"I didn't want a normal life. I wanted you. And since I couldn't have you I moved on. So did you..." She put her hand up to silence him, as he was about to protest what she was saying. "I've found something bigger than the both of us and I have a feeling you've found that same type of thing with Cordelia, haven't you?"

He looked away from her. Why couldn't she understand his feelings for her were genuine? He truly loved her, now and forever. He lowered his head and sighed, feeling defeated. "No. I haven't. Because I love you and only you," he said lifting his head and meeting her eyes. "I just wish you would accept that."

"Maybe you do love me, Angel. The thing is, even if you did, you can't have me. I'm in love with someone else and no one, not even you, can come between that."

The welling tears stung the back of his eyes. He looked away from her again and up at the stars. This had not gone quite the way he had planned it.

* * *

"Uh, dancing and singing?" Fred replied meekly, answering Giles demand as she brought her act to a screeching halt. Singing and dancing in front of Lorne, Connor and the Scoobies was one thing, but being caught doing it by a very British Watcher was quite another. She could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks and began to fan herself. "It's hot in here. I think I better sit down." Quickly she moved to sit next to Gunn on the floor.

Giles watched as the young girl took a seat next to her boyfriend, her cheeks and neck turning a bright shade of crimson. He hadn't meant to embarrass the girl and he felt somewhat badly about it. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that your choice in, uhm, music was a bit disconcerting."

"You're not the only one thinking that," Gunn responded as he gave Fred a puzzled expression. He watched as she blushed again, even a deeper shade of red than before, if that were possible.

"I'll second that," Lilah stated from the other side of the room. "If you're going to have me tied up, could you at least provide some earplugs?" If she ever got out of this alive, she was going to make Angel Investigations pay dearly.

"Oh come on Lilah," Wesley grinned wickedly at her. "You're not having a splendid time? I thought this would be right up your alley, free entertainment. Oh, I'm sorry, it's the other way around. You usually provide that."

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. Silently she swore to herself that he was going to be the one to pay the most for his transgressions. She would make sure of it personally.

"She doesn't look too happy," Anya chirped. "Maybe we should sing something upbeat next time."

"There's always 'I Touch Myself' by the Divinyls," Xander declared with a grin. "But I suppose that would require less rope on her part."

Wesley chuckled at the remark as he saw Lilah's face redden.  


"Please accept my apology," Lorne interrupted, hoping to ease the tension that was building in the room. He stood up to face the three watchers who were hovering by the door. "It was my idea to get them to sing and dance." He paused a moment to consider his statement. "Actually it was my idea to have them sing, dancing was optional. Anywho, from what I can see, Gunn and Fred are not part of the Twelve."

"So it worked then?" Wesley asked, moving deeper into the room; his curiosity peeked.

"That it did. And I was just going to have Boy Wonder here sing after little Miss Snoop Doggy Dog was finished. By the way, darling, that was marvelous!"

Fred giggled. "Word."

Gunn shot her a glance that said 'you and I are gonna talk later'.

"Fascinating," Giles stated as he moved towards the couch to have a seat. "Mr. Lorne, please continue with your experiment." Perhaps they could finally solve the puzzle of the Twelve before tomorrow evening. "Xander, when you pick something out to sing, please do make sure it's music and not noise. Do try to remember that there are those sleeping right now whose powers will be of the utmost importance tomorrow night.

"Right," Xander nodded as he flipped through the CD collection, praying that there was something manly he could use.

William continued to lean against the doorframe, smiling to himself at the thought of Xander singing. Buffy would certainly want to see this, he thought. Despite the jovial atmosphere, something bothered him; something felt off. His eyes slowly scanned the room. Everyone who was awake was accounted for, except for one. Concerned, he silently slipped away from the living room unnoticed and headed towards the back door.  



	25. Puzzle Pieces

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Angel and Spike have a heart to heart while the others try to put the last pieces of the puzzle together  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Sing a Song"_

  
- 25 -  
Puzzle Pieces

As the laughter from the living room continued to drift into the kitchen, William stood frozen in the doorway, watching the two darkened figures outside. He had been right; the poof was out back with Buffy. He could tell by her body language that she was upset. What could Peaches have said to her to piss her off so? Part of him wanted to run out there and tear the ponce apart for hurting her, the other part just wanted to stay put in the shadows and watch the show. Maybe if he were lucky, she would save him the trouble of beating Angel to a bloody pulp and do it herself. As he stood clenching and unclenching his fists, a bottle caught his eye.

"Lookie what we have here," he whispered to the empty room as he picked up the holy water that someone had left on the kitchen island. He raised an eyebrow, looked out the back door and smiled. His smile quickly faded as he watched Angel grab Buffy's arm and raise his voice. Okay that's entirely enough of that, he thought. Time to go play hero. Stealthily, he opened the back door and slipped out. He didn't want Angel to know he was there until he was right on top of him.

Neither had heard him nor sensed him, they were too emotionally charged to notice much of anything at the moment. He didn't like the pain he heard in Buffy's voice. Yep, he'd have to take the poof down a peg or two. "Everything okay?" He asked as he sauntered up behind them.

"Spike," Buffy said, jumping slightly at the sound of his voice. She hadn't expected him. She smiled as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "I didn't hear you come out." How long had he been standing there? Not long, she hoped.

William placed his arm around her possessively; as he leaned down to let her lips brush his in a soft kiss. "Everything okay, Luv?" He asked again, smiling down at her.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. Angel and I were just talking."

"Were you now?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and then tilting his head to look down into her beautiful hazel eyes. He could tell she had been close to tears. "I hope it was about the prophecy. Come up with any ideas on how to kill the Master?"

"No," Angel replied before Buffy could. He was trying to keep his demon in check as he watched the two closely interact, so obviously devoted to one another. "Shouldn't you be inside with your books trying to figure this all out?"

"I was, but now I'm out here," William said, glancing sideways at Angel and trying to gauge his grandsire's mood. "The others are in the living room with Lorne, singing."

"Singing?" Buffy asked puzzled. "Why are they singing?"

"Lorne can read certain things when people sing for him," Angel stated in a monotone. "He's an empath."

"Okayand that means?"

"It just means he's trying to help us suss out who's who in the prophecy by having them sing. So far, he's found out that Fred and Gunn are not involved. Gunn's pretty relieved; Fred's kinda disappointed though, I reckon. The whelp's going to sing next. Thought I'd come out here and get you. Didn't think you'd want to miss that." That was partly true. He did think she'd want to hear Xander sing but he also wanted to check on Angel after noticing that the vampire had gone missing.

She laughed. "No way! I so don't want to miss that!" She grabbed hold of William's hand and tugged it as she began to make her way towards the back door. "Let's go."

"I'll just be a minute luv," he assured her as he stood his ground. "Go on ahead. Angel and I need to have a little talk."

Oh God. He had seen them, she was sure of it now, but exactly how much, she still didn't know. "Then I'm not going in," she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "I think I should stay out here and run interference so that you two don't kill each other."

"Buffy, I'll be fine," Angel stated with a smile. "He's right. We do need to talk."

She shifted her eyes from one to the other, trying to assess the level of testosterone in the air. Finally, she realized she wasn't going to get either one of them to follow her inside. "Alright, fine. If you two kill each other, I'm going to kill you both." She knew they were going to fight, she could feel it. Despite how much she wanted to see the show Xander was bound to put on, she just didn't want to leave these two alone.

"Right then," William said, giving her a smile he knew would make her melt. "Go catch Harris's little ditty while you can and Angel and I will be in a few minutes."

"Remember what I said," Buffy warned as she backed up towards the house, "If there's any killing to be done, I'm gonna do it."

They watched as she made her way to the house, both giving her an exaggerated wave and smile when she turned uncertainly at the door. When he saw her disappear out of sight, William turned to Angel and glared.

* * *

The bedroom that had once belonged to Joyce Summers was quiet and peaceful. Tara and Willow laid snuggled up to one another under the covers, awash in the blue glow of the moonlight that filtered in through the sheer curtains. They had made sure the windows were closed so that their sleep would not be disturbed by nature's symphony. Instead, it was being interrupted by a constant thumping of bass emanating from below.

"Sounds like they're having a party without us," Tara commented as she turned on her side to look into Willow's eyes.

"Yeah and I'm this close to going down there to give them a piece of my mind. I wonder if Dawn and Cordelia are getting any sleep?"

"Sweetie, don't be cranky. I think they're just trying to relax before tomorrow night"

"Well couldn't they do it a little quieter? Witch hereneed rest so that I can use my powers effectively."

Tara smiled at her lover's comment. "Are you really tired?"

"No, but that's beside the point! I should be exhausted but my body's telling me that it's tomorrow morning already. I should be studying for my trials so that I can come home all healed and happy."

"We are home Willow. We're in our own bed back in Sunnydale and I think you're a lot stronger than you believe right now. The Coven wouldn't have let us go see Giles if they didn't think that."

"True, but I'm still not tired and I still don't think I'm ready to use my powers against the Master. What if I fail? What if I can't help Buffy or the rest of us? Tara, what if I can't help you? I can't lose you again!"

Tara wrapped her arms around her sobbing lover and cooed gently to her. "Shhhh. You'll do fine, Willow. I have complete confidence in you but I want you to promise me something."

"I'll promise you anything you want baby," Willow said as she turned her head to meet Tara's soft gaze.

Tara thought for a moment before she continued. She didn't want to sound too harsh when she told Willow what she wanted her to promise; the girl was already trembling enough and she didn't want to push her over the edge. However, she needed to hear Willow make the promise. Taking in a deep breath, she rushed forward with the words. "I want you to promise me that if anything _does_ happen to me, that you won't go all Evil Willow on everyone else again."

"But"

"Promise me, Willow. Please. This is important to methere won't be a vengeance demon to wish to this time."

Willow quickly sat up and faced Tara, concern and guilt showing in her eyes. "I-I promise. I won't go all black magicy again. I swear. Just don't talk like that anymore, okay?" It was more of a demand than a request. 

Tara smiled and nodded her head. "You know," she began with a sly smile as she sat up and put an arm around Willow, "I've heard that all over body massages are a good relaxation technique. Would you like me to try to help you relax?"

"I suppose if you have to get practice in on someone, that someone might as well be me," she replied, grinning widely while feigning annoyance. "Such a horrible job but someone's gotta do it."

"Mmhmm," Tara sighed as she rolled her lover over on her stomach and began to knead her shoulders.

"Ohhhhrelaxing good." 

* * *

The almost full moon shone down on the two rivals as they stood glaring at one another. The crickets had stopped their music and the slight breeze that had stirred the trees earlier died down, leaving the night deadly silent. It was almost as if nature sensed that a confrontation of great import was about to take place and wanted to make sure there was silence so that it could be heard clearly. The usual sound of cars was also missing from the stilled night. William could only wonder if the residents of Sunnydale were now hiding themselves away from the chaos that had started. Slowly, and with purpose, he took a step closer to Angel, icy blue eyes staring coldly at the vampire before him.

"What?" Angel asked as innocently as possible while giving William a cocky grin. "Afraid she loves me more than you?"

"No," William replied with an even tone. "Just afraid that you're going to hurt her again."

Angel's grin slowly disappeared from his face as he realized that Spike wasn't there to taunt him into a fight. "Like you're not going to hurt her?" He demanded, taking a step closer to William, hoping that the younger man would give him a reason to start something.

"Let's get one thing straight, mate," William stated, standing up as straight as possible to face his grandsire. "I'm not threatened by your declaration of love for Buffy. I know where her heart lies and it's not with you."

"Don't be so sure about that," Angel sneered at him. "A man knows certain things from the way a woman kisses him"

"And what do Cordelia's kisses tell you?" William asked quietly, his eyes never leaving Angel's. He had seen the kiss between Buffy and Angel and it had hurt his ego but he knew, deep down, that Buffy loved him and that thought brought him comfort despite the Angelus type remarks.

Shock registered on Angel's face as William's words sunk into him. Did all of the Scoobies know about his relationship with Cordelia? "That's none of your business!"

"Isn't it? Peaches, you can say what you want to try to get me to kick your ass" He paused as he saw Angel's reaction to his words. "What? You don't think I can?"

"Spike, you're human now or have you forgotten that? I doubt very much that you could harm me." He shook his head and laughed to himself as he tried to picture Spike the Human inflicting pain on him.

William pulled the bottle of holy water out of his pocket and flashed it before the smug vampire. "Wanna test that?" His tone was serious, threatening.

"You wouldn't dare. If you even touch me with that, you know Buffy will never forgive you."

"Might be right about that," William conceded as he threw the threatening bottle on the ground. "But I don't think she'd be too upset if I kicked your ass the old fashioned way."

"Get a grip Spike. I could break you in two; kill you with my own hands. Actually, that might not be a bad idea. I could comfort Buffy after you're gone."

"Is that so? Give me your best shot."

"What?"

"I said give me your best shot!"

"Well okay, since you asked for it" He stepped forward and threw a right towards William's face, but it never connected. "What the?"

William smirked as he easily avoided the punch. "Is that all you've got, Angelus, cause if it is, I have to say" He stopped short as Angel came at him, the vampire's head hitting him in the midsection, knocking him off his feet. "Alright then, let's have at it."

* * *

The two former scourges of Europe rolled around on the ground, beating each other senseless, like two young boys on a school playground fighting over a couple pieces of stale gum - the kind that came with baseball cards. Buffy watched from the kitchen door, covering her mouth and trying to stifle her laughter. At first, she had been concerned for Angel's well being when William had pulled out the holy water, but when he had thrown it down on the ground to fight the vampire hand to hand, she relaxed enough to enjoy the show they were now putting on for her. All she could do was shake her head at how stupid the two of them looked out there. The sounds of grunting and groaning when punches landed or knees connected drifted to her ears as well as snippets of conversation.

"Buffy?" A voice called from behind.

"Giles, hi. Everything going okay in there?" She asked, spinning around to face him.

He studied his Slayer intently. She looked like a child who had gotten caught with her proverbial hands in the cookie jar. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, trying to close the back door before he could catch a glimpse of what was going on outside.

He caught the door in mid swing and looked down at her. "Honestly Buffy, do you think I'm blind?"

"No. Just hoped that maybe you werejust a bit."

He glanced outside as William knocked Angel several yards with a back kick to the vampire's chest. "How long have they been going at it?"

"About ten minutes now. Think I should stop them?"

"No, let them go. Hopefully they'll get it out of their systems so that they can concentrate on defeating the Master." Placing his hand on her shoulder, he began guiding her towards the living room. "Come on, we'll go listen to Anya's song a while. Lorne is helping us put the puzzle pieces together."

"If her performance is as bad as Xander's just was, I'm gonna hurl."

"You and I both I'm afraid," he stated dryly as they reached the room and took seats on the couch.

"Buffy, Giles," Anya said with a grin. "You almost missed my turn to sing a little ditty."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," Giles stated with a forced smile while Buffy coughed loudly to his left.

"Go ahead darling," Lorne encouraged her. "Sing your little heart out for Uncle Lorne." While the others cringed, Anya managed to screech out the lyrics to a Shania Twain song. After a few lines, he finally stopped the slaughter. "Okay, I've heard enough. You're the Demon and you're going to be paired with your boyfriend the Loyal. Any more questions?" No one said a word. "Good. Who's next? We still don't know who the Betrayer is."

"I thought that would be quite obvious," Wesley stated as a disheveled Angel and William entered the room, looking exhausted and a bit worse for wear.

"Color me stupid," Xander stated, suppressing a yawn while the others in the room were still giggling over Anya's performance. "But I'm not following."

Wesley stood, giving Angel a cold stare. "The Betrayeris me."  



	26. Fool Me Once

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** The Twelve are finally revealed, the puzzle finally solved while the Master prepares for his ascension  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Puzzle Pieces"_

  
- 26 -  
Fool Me Once

The atmosphere in the Summers' living room had suddenly gone from jovial and relaxed - hey, apocalypses happen every day here, right? - to frosty and tense in a matter of seconds. Those that had been having a good time, stopped in mid giggle as they watched the former watcher and the vampire interact, their body language screaming distrust and contempt. Wesley stood deadly still as his steel-blue eyes locked with Angel's deep brown ones. He knew that nothing would ever be the same between them again. He didn't want same though, he wanted better than same but he knew that he would never get that. Not from Angel anyway. Part of him wished that the wounds between them would heal and the other part of him, his darker part, just didn't care anymore. It was no longer worth the effort to him.

"You're damn right you're the Betrayer," Angel growled as he contorted his human face into his most menacing scowl.

Wesley sighed but never broke eye contact. He heard the others in the room, buzzing in the background. He supposed that eventually the Sunnydale bunch would have to be brought up to speed on why it was that he was the Betrayer, but for now he had to deal with the angry vampire standing in front of him. "Angel, I have apologized several times over for what occurred. I cannot take it back. I know that you will never accept that, which is quite all right. I do not need your forgiveness."

Fred and Gunn shared a worried glance. What did Wesley mean that he didn't need Angel's forgiveness? They had both just assumed that all was already forgiven and that Wesley would come back home to them, that is, if they all made it out of the Last Judgment alive. Fred looked up from her seat on the floor and saw the yellow flash through Angel's eyes. This was not a good place to be sitting, especially if things were going to get ugly between the two, which she assumed they would. Nudging Charles with her elbow, she signaled to him to back up with her towards the couch so that they would be out of range if the fists started flying. He quickly complied and the two silently backed up to be with the others.

"What do you mean you don't need my forgiveness?" Angel demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring back at the man. "What you did to meto my sonit's unforgivable anyway."

"What the heck is he talking about?" Xander whispered to Anya.

"I'm not sure," Anya replied in her own hushed tone. "But Angel should have contacted me for a good vengeance spell."

Xander looked at her like she was insane, but he soon turned his attention back to the melee in the middle of the room when Buffy shushed him by bringing her finger to her lips and glaring at him.

"I'm well aware of what I've done to you and to Connor. He and I have already talked about it and"

"Which brings me to my next question, Wesley. Just what _were_ you doing with my son tonight? Were you trying to turn him against me more than he already was, is that it?"

Lilah laughed. "Uh oh, Angel's found you out Wesley. Now what are you going to do?"

Wesley glared daggers at the woman tied to the chair but before he could speak, Angel had him by the throat in a vice-like grip, cutting off his air supply.

"You son of a"

The rest of the group sat in stunned silence as they watched Wesley dangle from Angel's grip. No one moved nor knew what to do, especially after Connor sprung to his feet to challenge the vampire. 

"No!" Connor screamed as he ran to the aid of the man who had taken him in and helped him to reconcile with his father. "Stop it! Let him go! I thought you swore you weren't a monster!"

* * *

Connor's words echoed in Angel's ears as all the strength slowly drained out of him. Ever so gently, he released the grip he had on Wesley's throat. He watched in horror as the man began to cough and sputter, gasping for fresh air while he rubbed at his neck where the hand had been squeezing the life out of him. He looked down at his hands like they weren't a part of his being and then looked pleadingly at his son. What had he done? Had he just destroyed the tenuous connection they had just reestablished? He couldn't let that happen, too much was at stake, their very lives. The look on Connor's face, the fear and the hatred, scorched his already tortured soul.

"Son, I'm sorry" Angel began as he took a tentative step towards Connor.

"Don't apologize to me. You should be apologizing to him," he said pointing at the Englishman standing off to the side. Bruises were now showing up on the man's neck.

"Connor, you don't understand"

"I understand just fine. Wesley has taken care of me the last few days and he has not once lied to me as far as I can tell. He explained to me what happened. If I can look past it, shouldn't you as well?"

Angel stood staring at his son, dumbfounded. It was then that he realized that he didn't know his son, not really. The boy was a complete stranger and if he was to ever establish a bond, then things needed to change. He straightened his back, turned to Wesley and extended his hand towards his former friend. "I'm sorry, Wes. Will you accept my apology?"

"No harm, no foul," Wesley stated dryly, his hand continuing to rub the bruised area of his neck. He thought about not reaching to shake Angel's hand but then realized it was something that needed to be done in front of Connor, for the sake of father and son. "Very well. Apology accepted."

Angel turned to his son who was now grinning back at him. Being a parent was going to be harder than he originally thought, especially to a teenager. He supposed he'd have to ask Buffy for some pointers on how she handled Dawn.

* * *

The night air had a slight chill to it as the fledgling vampire slowly made his way back to the cave and to his master. Of course, he no longer noticed the cold and he no longer cared about it either. All that mattered now was that he was free; free from everything that was once important to him, such as his job and money. The healing powers of vampires were truly a magnificent thing. He wished he had studied it more in his previous life. The pain in his broken legs had already started to subside and for that he was grateful. It was true that the pain was much less excruciating than what he, as a human, had endured just less than a day ago at the hands of the Master, so he was appreciative of that as well. The demon that now inhabited the body in place of the human soul still had those awful memories ingrained in his being. The thought of what the Master had done to the human part of him, made him shiver.

Instinctively he knew how to get back to the cave despite the fact that he was newly turned and that the cave was well hidden. The Master would be pleased with him, he was sure, since he was bringing along a fresh offering. The seemingly young woman that he dragged behind him had been quite a find. He had come across her after being hit by the car; actually it was her that had come across him. She had been wandering the streets aimlessly, dazed and crying when she literally bumped into him. It hadn't taken much to over power her, almost like she wanted to be caught, and as a result he now had something to give to his master. The sound of a muffled groan reached his ears. It was a good thing that he was almost to the cave, otherwise he'd have to knock her out again and that just wouldn't be acceptable. He wanted her fully alert as he handed her to him.

Once inside the cave, he followed the tunnel to another chamber where he knew the Master would be at rest, preparing himself for tomorrow night's festivities. The woman was now becoming more alert and starting to thrash around a bit. That was just fine by him, the better to get her heart pumping and the blood flowing. Then again, he was certain that would occur anyway once she understood what was about to happen to her.

"Grandpa-pa look!" Drusilla cried, clapping her hands together as the fledgling brought in its prey. "Look what our precious Gavin has brought for you."

Gavin pulled the dark haired woman to her feet and placed her in front of the Master. "I've brought you this offering, Master. Are you pleased?"

The Master chuckled a deep throaty chuckle as he keenly observed the offering in front of him. "You have done well, my boy."

Drusilla circled the woman, her eyes dancing with pleasure. She swayed back and forth listening to a voice that only she could hear. "Grandpa-pa, the pixies are telling me that she was once very powerful. Her blood will be beyond anything you have ever tasted before."

"Drusilla my darling, I'm afraid your pixies have forgotten that I have tasted the blood of a slayer, nothing is sweeter than that."

She pouted as she ran her hand through the woman's hair, eliciting a small whimper from the prisoner. "Yes, but the pixies still think that you'll like her just the same."

"Perhaps I will," he stated with a smile as he moved towards the woman. "Shall we test that theory now?"

"Don't you want to find out what I know first?" The woman asked, tilting her head to the side and glaring at the hideous creature in front of her, daring him to kill her before she revealed all that she knew.

* * *

The tension factor in the Summers' living room dropped several notches after Wesley and Angel shook hands. Buffy was relieved. She thought she might have to start chaining them to the supports in the basement if they didn't keep their testosterone in check. She wondered why they just couldn't bottle it up and save it for tomorrow night when it would really be needed.

"William, a word please," Giles stated with a frown and disapproving look at William's torn and dirt stained clothing.

"Someone's in trouble," Xander sing-songed like a four year old, grin and all. He hoped that Giles was going to kick some Evil Dead butt; then again, it looked like Evil Dead had already gone through a butt kicking with Angel. Too bad they hadn't killed one another. That would have given him a huge happy.

"Stuff it Harris," William shot back. "You just wish it had been you out there trying to kick my ass instead of the poofter. No worries. Plenty of time for that later."

"So are you feeling all manly now?" Buffy asked with a grin as she walked up beside him, checking him for wounds. She was surprised to see that he didn't have more than a scratch anywhere on his body that she could see anyway. Not even much of a bruise, which she thought was really odd since Angel looked like his face had met with a baseball bat a few times.

"Yeah. I say I feel very manly right now. Wanna slip down to the basement to see just how manly I can be?" He asked giving her his patented cocky grin.

She hesitated a moment, the thought of stealing off for some alone time with him was incredibly tempting, but there were bigger, more important things to think about right now. "A world of 'no'. There's too much to do. Maybe later when it's our turn for some sleep." She noticed his grin again after her last statement. He may be a proper and refined British watcher now, but at times she caught glimpses of the old Spike. A part of her really missed him.

"William?" Giles demanded from the dining room. "A word. Now."

"Best be going luv. Try to keep everyone busy or better yet, get out some extra blankets and pillows, they may want to get some rest."

"Right. I can do that," she replied. "But first I need to talk to Angel."

William raised an eyebrow in question and folded his arms across his chest.

"Just talking. I swear."

"I trust you luv," he whispered as he bent down to kiss her forehead. "Gotta go before Rupert skins me alive."

She watched him walk away in awe. He had handled the whole thing with her and Angel so well, it was scary. Maybe he had really changed or maybe she just never noticed that he was capable of this type of behavior before. Either way, she was glad that she finally had opened her heart to him.

* * *

In the dining room the three watchers sat back in their seats, pouring over papers and making notes. They were certain that they now knew who the pertinent participants were and to whom they were paired. Since neither Giles nor Wesley had sung for Lorne, they could only assume that they were to face their fate together, for whatever reasons. Now it was just a matter of devising a plan in order to defeat the Master.

"Shall we go over the list and the pairs?" Wesley asked, shuffling his notes and trying to put some order to the disorder that he felt. "Just to assure that we're all on the same page?"

"Excellent idea," Giles replied as he rubbed his temples. He felt like he hadn't slept in days, which was right on, since he truly _hadn't_ slept in days. There was still so much to do; he just could contemplate resting yet.

"Rupert I think you should get some sleep after we go over this. William and I can continue with trying to formulate a plan."

William nodded in agreement. The older watcher was looking a little green around the edges. "I agree with Wesley. You really do need to get some sleep. You won't be any good to us in this condition."

"I'll have you know I'm in great condition!" Giles snapped at them. His shoulders slumped and his face softened. "I'm sorry. I guess I am overly tired. Let's go over the Twelve and then I'll try to get some sleep."

Wesley pulled out his list from his stack of papers and cleared his throat. "Let's start with the obvious one. We already know that Buffy is the Slayer and that she is paired with William who is the Souled. Dawn is the Key and is paired with Connor, who I'll assume to be the Prodigy. Do either of you disagree with that assessment?" Both Giles and William shook their heads. "Right then, continuingwe know that Cordelia and Angel are paired. I'm guessing that Angel is the Champion since we know absolutely for sure that the Souled position has been filled. Also, Lorne knows for a fact that he is not involved in the prophecy, which leaves Cordy as the only one with visions, thus the Seer. We also know, through Lorne's abilities, that Xander is the Loyal and that he is paired with Anya who is the Demon. Neither has received their calling yet but I believe that will happen in a matter of hours."

Giles nodded with Wesley's assessment thus far. "Right. So that now leaves us with Willow as the Witch, Tara as the Sorceress, myself as the Watcher and Wesley as the Betrayer. We have no idea for sure that Willow and Tara will be paired, we can only assume that they will be and without their having been called, we won't know for sure."

"Well it would make sense if they were paired," William interrupted. "It seems that those who have been paired so far are romantically involved." He sat back and waited to see how long it would take for the other two watchers to react to his innuendo.

"Angel and Cordelia are involved?" Giles asked incredulously.

William shook his head and rolled his eyes. That was not the reaction he had been fishing for when he had made the statement, but it would do for now.

"Yes, for quite some time now," Wesley replied matter of factly.

"Although you wouldn't know it by the way he's been sniffing around Buffy," William growled. 

"William, was that scene out back with Angel really necessary?" Giles chastised as he took in the man's appearance. "I mean really, was it worth it?"

"What do you think?" William asked with a cocky grin. "Of course it was worth it, mate. It felt good to give the poof his just due. Now I hope he realizes what he has with the cheerleader before he messes that up too."

"Yes, well," Wesley stated dryly. "Not much we can do there. Angel is quite stubborn."

"Anywaygetting back to the pairs. As I was saying, those that we know for sure that have been paired off are romantically involved. So is there anything you two blokes would like to share?"

Both Wesley and Giles gave William a puzzled look, and then slowly, realization of what William was hinting at dawned on them. Puzzlement was replaced by shock and then shock was replaced by embarrassment. Giles stood quickly, cleared his throat, made like he was going to say something and then stopped.

William could tell that the man was now flustered. "Don't worry Rupert," he said, patting the older watcher on the arm and smiling mischievously. "You're secret's safe with me."

"Now see here!" Giles exclaimed as he towered over the younger man who was still seated. "I am _not_"

Before he could finish, a scream came from upstairs.  



	27. Deuces Are Wild

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** The final pairings are revealed while hearts are broken...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Fool Me Once"_

  
- 27 -  
Deuces Are Wild

Gunn and Xander sat together on the couch, heads lowered and engaged in quiet conversation while Anya and Fred discussed the merits of vengeance on the floor in front of them. Despite the fact that the two young men came from extremely different backgrounds, they had found something in common that they could discuss; demons and the supernatural. However, it wasn't demons and such that Xander was particularly interested in at the moment. He wanted to know what it was that happened between Angel and Wesley that pissed off the vampire so much, cause anything that made Angel angry had to be a good thing.

"Dude, you have no idea how ugly this thing is," Gunn replied when Xander asked him to explain the situation.

"Try me."

Gunn held up his hand and glanced around the room to see where Angel was, since the last thing he wanted to do was to piss off his boss. That's when he saw Angel and Buffy head towards the kitchen. The look on the Slayer's face made him cringe. She did not look like a happy camper at all. He sure didn't want to be in Angel's shoes. After the two had disappeared through the doorway, Gunn turned his attention back to Xander. "It's like this. Wes got a bogus prophecy that translated to, 'The father will kill the son'. He didn't know what to do. Instead of confiding in us, he went to Holtz."

"Who's Holtz?" Xander interrupted with a frown, silently relieved that they weren't the only ones that led soap opera lives.

"He was a vampire hunter from the past. Some time traveling demon named Sahjhan, had a beef against Angel and brought Holtz to this time. Angelus killed Holtz's wife and daughter and turned his baby into a vamp so I guess you could imagine how pissed off this guy could be. Anyway, Wes didn't know the prophecy was a phony and there were things that were happening with Angel that made Wes really suspicious. So Wes took Connor but was set up by Justine, Holtz' lackey. She slit Wes' throat and she and Holtz were gonna take Connor somewhere to raise as their own. Well, there was this big showdown with Angel, Wolfram and Hart, Sahjhan and Holtz. Sahjhan opened up this portal to hell and Holtz took Connor through it. Next thing we know, Connor's back and he's not a baby anymore and he hates Angel."

"Damn. That's a horrible story. Kinda feel bad for the big guy even though I don't like him much."

"Angel's an okay dude. I still have trust issues with him cause he's a vamp and all but I'd fight beside him anytime."

"Charles are you trying to say you still don't trust Angel?" Fred asked incredulously as she stopped her conversation with Anya.

"I'm just sayin' darlin', that I'm still waiting for the day that his soul disappears and Angelus to come out to play."

"Oh no. You don't want to see that. You never want to see that," Xander responded, shaking his head vehemently. "It's a bad, bad thing. See," he said pointing to his arm. "Gives me shivers just thinking about it. A word to the wise...if he ever turns into Angelus, run."

Gunn winced. He knew that Angelus was capable of horrible things, but seeing the look on Xander's face made him realize that Cordy had not been totally honest with them about what had happened the last time Angel had lost his soul. However, he was now damn certain that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Angelus, ever. "So Anya, was Angel really as bad as doughboy says?"

"Oh, I don't know. I wasn't here when Angel lost his soul but it couldn't have been all that bad."

Gunn sighed and relaxed a little. Maybe Xander was just overreacting.

"Although this one time, back in Romania, I was doing a vengeance thing and I heard all about this master vampire that was just a really sick bastard. Apparently he made my capabilities look like child's play. After I met Buffy and everyone, I figured out that it had probably been Angelus, it was about the right timeframe."

"How do you do it?" Gunn asked, staring at the former vengeance demon in a mixture of awe and fear.

"Do what?" Anya inquired, tilting her head and giving Gunn a look of confusion.

"Talk about killing and maiming like it was no big deal. Doesn't it even bother you in the least that you used to do those things?"

"It was my job and I did it well. It's who I used to be. I can't change that so there's no use dwelling on it. Right Sweetie?"

"Uh, right hon," Xander replied, giving Gunn a shrug that said 'nothing I can do about it'.

Gunn looked at Fred and shook his head slowly. "And I thought we had a messed up group."

* * *

As much as she didn't want to do interrupt the quality bonding session that was occurring between father and son at the moment, she wanted to speak to Angel. Privately. They hadn't finished their talk from earlier and she wanted to make sure that he was perfectly clear about where he stood in her life. She was concerned that if it hadn't been for the Last Judgment or for her relationship with Spike, Angel would still be in Los Angeles not giving her, or Sunnydale, a second thought. Their lives would have continued on separate paths, much as they had over the last two and a half years. She was positive that Fate had brought them back together, but she was certain it wasn't to reunite. Hesitantly, she approached him and asked if she could see him in the kitchen for a few minutes. After he excused himself from Connor, he followed her through the door.

"What's up Buffy?" He asked as he watched her stand in front of the sink staring out the window.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned around to face him. She had purposely put enough distance, and a kitchen island, between the two of them so that he couldn't try anything again. She didn't think he would after what she had to say to him but she just wanted to make sure, not so much for her sake but for his. If Spike were to walk in on Angel doing something to her again, she doubted if he'd be much of a gentleman this time. "I just wanted to make sure that you understand how I feel about you, about us."

He smiled at her and shook his head. "I understand completely."

"Good. I'm glad..."

"I understand that you're in love with me and that this thing with Spike will eventually fail."

She was shocked. "Are you serious?"

"Actually, no," he stated, his tone becoming serious as a sadness passed over his features. "I understand that you and Spike care about each other. I don't know how or why and I really don't want the details. I just have one question."

"And that is?"

"Why?"

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned her back against the kitchen sink for support. After everything the two of them had been through together, she felt that she owed him that much. "Angel, I can't even begin to answer that question because I really don't know the answer myself. All I know is that I love him. He's there for me. He loves me and he loves Dawn. He's never once asked me to be someone I'm not and he's never given up on me." She shrugged. "He's my everything."

"I used to be your everything," he whispered, his shoulders slumping as the words sunk in. "I guess I just figured that in the end, you and I would always find our way back to one another."

"Angel, I'm sorry. I used to believe that too but now I know...I know that Spike is my soul mate. We share something that I can't even begin to explain to you. Although, I suspect you might already understand."

He looked over at her, his eyes searching hers for the answer that he already knew. "Cordelia."

She nodded. As she was about to say a few comforting words to him, a scream from upstairs pierced the air. "Willow!"

* * *

Everyone heard Willow's scream as it echoed through the house. Buffy ran from the kitchen and into the dining room, nearly knocking over Giles and William as she raced for the stairs. Bounding up the steps two at a time, it took her only seconds to reach the witch's bedroom. She threw the door open, half expecting to find something horrific on the other side but hoping that it was nothing other than a bad dream that had caused the screaming. She heard sobbing coming from the bed but couldn't see anything right away because of the darkness. As her eyes quickly adjusted, she saw Tara sitting up and slowly rocking a very shaken Willow.

"We had our vision," Tara explained as she caught sight of Buffy standing in the doorway.

Buffy walked over to her crying friend and sat on the edge of the bed. "Willow, it's going to be okay. We're going to defeat him."

"Buffy is right," Giles stated from the doorway. "We're going to win."

Willow snuffled. Pleadingly, she looked into Buffy's eyes. "Promise?"

"I promise you," Buffy stated emphatically. "Now try to get some more sleep, okay?" Buffy helped Tara cover Willow as the witch nodded in compliance. "Good night," she whispered as she slipped out of the room and closed the door. She met up with the three watchers in the hallway.

"I just tucked Dawn back into bed," William stated as Buffy joined them.

"She okay?" Buffy asked with concern.

"She's fine. Just scared out of her mind at first is all."

"Yeah, I think we all were," Buffy replied. She noticed that her bedroom door was open. "I take it Willow woke Cordelia as well?"

"Yes," Giles responded, stifling a yawn. "She's gone down to join the others in the living room. I suggest that you and William try to get some rest now."

"Giles I think you should take my room. William and I will sleep down in the basement on the cots."

"No need for that Buffy..."

"I won't take no for an answer."

"Very well," the older watcher said as he staggered into the Slayer's bedroom. "However, before I retire, I do have one question. Were Willow and Tara just called together?"

"Seems like it," Buffy said nodding her head. "Tara said they had just shared the same vision."

Giles sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Very well then. You two will explain to the others who is who then?" He asked looking at Wesley and William. Both men nodded their answer. "Goodnight."

William looked at Wesley and began to chuckle as Giles growled and slammed the door shut.

"Someone mind telling me what that was all about?" Buffy demanded as she watched Wesley turn about three shades of red.

"Sure pet. Seems that since Willow and Tara have just been paired, it means that these two blokes are now a couple."

At first Buffy wasn't quite sure what William was getting at with his explanation but then something clicked inside her brain and she began to giggle. "So you and Giles are paired together, huh? Is there something you want to tell us Wesley?"

"I will not even dignify that with a reply," he huffed at the two laughing figures in front of him. "I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation as to why Giles and I have been paired."

"I'm sure there is mate," William agreed while still trying to contain his laughter.

Wesley glared at the man before him. "I hope that you throw this much enthusiasm into finding a way to kill the Master. Shall we?" He asked as he stepped aside from the landing and extended his arm downwards in a sweeping gesture.

William gave Buffy a wink and then pretended to straighten a non-existing tie as he cleared his throat. "We shall," he stated, slowly descending the steps. About halfway down, he turned around to face Wesley with a smirk. "Don't you think Rupert could get a mite bit jealous with all the time you and I will be spending together doing research."

"Remind me to kill you after the Last Judgment is over," Wesley stated dryly, glaring at the man that had once been a vampire.

* * *

It was now Cordelia's turn to sit out back on the bench and contemplate the stars. She had tried to sleep but had been unsuccessful in her attempts, Willow's scream had only given her an excuse to get up and leave Buffy's room for the freedom of the outdoors. She sat quietly on the bench, her back to the house, tears streaming down her face as she felt the echo of what had occurred at this particular spot earlier in the evening. She chided herself for always knowing that he would do this, that he would return to the woman he loved most but she had talked herself into believing that he loved her first and foremost. Her shoulders slumped as she let her anguish wash through her, the sobs coming and going but always silent. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

"Cordelia?" A man's voice asked from behind. "What's wrong?"

Quickly, she tried to compose herself. She didn't want him to see her like this, didn't want him to have the satisfaction. "Angel," she said trying to mask her shaking voice. "What brings you out here? Again."

He walked around to stand in front her. Fred had told him that she had seen Cordelia run out of the house looking upset after Willow had screamed. This had worried him so he had followed her, remaining distant enough to watch so as to give her some privacy. However, it had been her sobs that had brought him to her side. Had she had a vision? Usually she shared her visions, even the ugly ones, but he was concerned that she'd had another one and that it hadn't been good. He paused for a moment when he saw her tear streaked face. "Cordy? What's wrong?" He inquired, kneeling before her and taking her hands in his.

She looked away from him before she answered. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine and you certainly don't sound fine." He frowned when she didn't answer. He tried to look into her eyes but she refused to meet his gaze. "What's bothering you?"

"Why should you care?" She demanded angrily as she pulled her hands away from him.

He frowned again, not knowing what to do. He hated seeing her in so much obvious pain. "Cordy..."

"Please leave me alone. Go back inside to your precious little Buffy."

Stunned, he sat down on the bench next to her. "How did you...?"

"How did I know? You're kidding, right? Hello. Higher being here. Duh."

Taking an unneeded deep breath, he reached out to touch her cheek, but she violently pulled away from him. Her actions stunned and hurt him. A knot began to form in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry Cordy. I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did, Angel. More than you'll ever realize."

"I'm sorry Cordy. I didn't mean to do this. I can't help that I love Buffy. I'm sorry."

"I know you love Buffy and I know a part of you always will. I've always accepted that but what about me? Don't you love me at all? Even a little bit?" 

He loved her more than he ever thought he could possibly love someone who wasn't Buffy. She had been everything to him these last few months. Not only had she been his friend, but she had also been his lover. The one person that he knew he could confide in no matter what and the one person that accepted him for who he was and loved him despite it. The knot in his stomach began to grow tighter as he began to realize that he couldn't imagine his life without her.

She looked down at her hands that were now resting awkwardly in her lap. She felt like she was totally exposed, sitting next to him like this, waiting for a response she knew would never come. A warm, gentle breeze blew by her but it felt as if an artic wind had chilled her to the bone. She wondered if she would ever again feel warm. Tired of waiting for his reply, she looked over at him.

He watched as her endless brown eyes frantically searched his face for an answer, an explanation, anything that would give her the slightest hint as to what was going on inside his head. He wanted to give her something to cling to, but he didn't want to lead her on. Confusion began to take over his thoughts. He lowered his eyes and ran his finger back and forth for several moments, outlining the wrinkles on his pants. "I do love you," he whispered as he raised his eyes to meet hers. It was then that he realized she hadn't heard him. She was already gone.  



	28. Guidance & Understanding

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Angel receives some advice from an unlikely source while Connor is given a second chance at love...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Deuces are Wild"_

  
- 28 -  
Guidance & Understanding

Connor quietly followed Anya up the steps and towards the bathroom of the Summers' home, thoughts of a warm shower playing on his mind. After his father had gone to the kitchen to talk to Buffy, he had joined the others on the opposite side of the living room, making sure he was well out of earshot of what was being said between the two. As he looked into the faces of the group that he was about to join, he realized that he was still an outsider to them. Anya, the one that had been a demon, seemed to accept him more readily than the others. He couldn't say he blamed them for their standoffish attitude towards him, especially after all the things he had done. Lorne, Gunn and Fred distrusted him because of what he had done to Angel and Xander was probably none too happy with him for what he had done to both Dawn and Buffy. He knew that he still owed Buffy an apology for his transgressions and hoped that, eventually, she would forgive him. As for Dawn, well, he knew that an apology just wouldn't be enough; he would need to do more. Perhaps that thing his father called groveling would do.

He didn't realize that Anya had been chattering away as they had climbed the stairs. She had been the one to suggest a shower after Buffy had come downstairs with pillows and blankets for those who wanted to catch some sleep. His appearance had been the last thing on his mind but he had immediately become aware of it after Anya had pointed it out to him. She had asked him if he had been injured since his shirt was covered in blood. Absently he had tugged at the shirt, trying to remember exactly whose blood it had been when it occurred to him that he had been in the fight earlier with the Master's minions. So much had happened to him that day he could barely remember his own name.

"Here," Anya stated as she handed him a towel from the linen closet. "Just put your clothing in this bag and we'll wash it as soon as you're out of the shower."

"What am I going to wear while this is being washed? I'm not gonna walk around in a towel the rest of the night."

"Good point. Stay here, I'll be right back."

He watched as the woman disappeared into an open room and listened as he heard drawers opening and closing. Obviously she was looking for something specific, because when she found it she let out a triumphant sound.

"Okay. Here's a pair of Buffy's sweatpants," she stated, handing over the pile of bulky material. She paused when she saw him wrinkle up his nose and frown. "I know it's all girly but it's better than nothing. Besides, who's going to even notice?"

He looked at her skeptically as he held up the pair of pants. They looked small but then again, the Slayer was a petite girl. Hopefully the material was loose enough that it would fit him. "Thanks," he replied and headed into the bathroom.

* * *

While Xander and Gunn continued to discuss all things evil, Fred and Lorne opted to get some shuteye while they could. Both felt extremely guilty for being tired, knowing that their friends, new and old, would be facing the toughest challenge of their lives in the next eighteen or so hours but they just couldn't keep their eyes open any longer.

"Is anyone going to offer me a pillow?" Lilah growled from her chair. "Or a bathroom break for that matter?"

"No," Gunn replied tersely. "Now shut your mouth and let people sleep." 

"Who _is_ she?" Xander asked as he studied the dark haired woman. He thought she was attractive but knew that on top of the Hellmouth, looks were definitely deceiving.

"A crazy ass bitch is what she is. Actually, she's a lawyer. Of the demented and demon-y type."

"They have lawyers for demons in L.A.? Wow. That's insane."

"Hence why I said she was a crazy ass bitch."

Lilah scowled at them and went back to trying to loosen her restraints.

"I wouldn't bother," Xander stated, watching her look for weak spots in the rope. "Buffy tied that so save your strength. You're not going anywhere."

"We'll see about that..."

At that point, a highly agitated and sobbing Cordelia swept into the room. To Xander she looked like she had just been told her cat had died or that her daddy had just lost all of their money. "Cordelia, what's wrong?" He asked as he quickly stood and motioned for her to take his seat.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know," she sobbed, throwing herself down on the couch and burying her face in her hands.

"Calm down," Gunn demanded gently. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I bet I know what happened," A voice from the doorway stated. "Angel happened, didn't he?"

* * *

Connor slowly toweled himself off. He had taken the longest, best, hot shower of his entire existence. As a result, the bathroom was now a sauna; steam circling and clouding the room. Thoughts of Dawn had plagued him while he had tried to relax under the soothing spray. How was he going to make things right? Could he ever make things right? These questions and others floated through his mind making his heart wrench and ache. He wanted her to know that he was sorry, needed her to know actually. Maybe when she got up in the morning, he would take her outside and they could sit on the front porch and talk like they did the night they shared their first kiss. The memory of that night brought a smile to his face. He remembered every facet of that evening. The way her hair framed her face, the way her eyes sparkled and danced when she saw him arrive and how her warm lips felt against his. He definitely needed to tell her how he felt, before it was too late.

As he gathered his clothes and began to clean up the bathroom, his sensitive hearing caught the sounds of muffled sobs. At first, he thought that it had been the witch still crying over what she had seen in her vision, but as he moved closer to the door, he realized that they were coming from Dawn. Hesitantly he tiptoed through the hallway and paused at her door. There was no doubt now that the sobbing was coming from her. The sounds of her sadness tugged at his heart. Was he the cause of this? He needed to find out, to console her. Gently he knocked on the door so as not to alert the others of what he was doing.

"Come in," Dawn's quiet voice told him.

Cautiously he opened the door and stepped inside the room. She was laying on her bed with her back to him. "Dawn, are you okay?" He asked as he closed the door behind him. He already knew the answer but he felt that this would at least get the conversation started.

Immediately she rolled over to face him. Her tear stained cheeks were red and flushed. "What do you want?" She demanded, anger welling up inside of her.

He met her cold stare and then looked away. She was in pain because of him and it killed him to see her this way. "I'm sorry," he mumbled as he hung his head in shame. He had started this relationship as a way to get to Buffy, but it hadn't taken long before he had come to care for her, to love her.

"You should be," Dawn sniffled as she sat up in bed, making room for him to sit down at the bottom.

"I hope you can forgive me for being so horrible to you and your sister. I-I never wanted to hurt you..."

"No, you just wanted to hurt Buffy. Why?"

"It's...complicated."

"Try me."

"I overhead Fred and Gunn discussing how my father probably would never be able to love another woman because of the love he had for someone named Buffy. She supposedly she loved him as well. That's when I decided to find her and eliminate her. I felt that she didn't deserve to live because she loved a beast."

"That's pretty messed up Steven, uhm, I mean...Connor. Your name _is_ Connor, isn't it? I really can't keep up with all the deception."

He smiled shyly at her and nodded. "I know I was wrong, and yes it is messed up...was messed up..." Connor slumped; he just couldn't find the words to describe what he'd felt.

"Understatement of the century," she replied in a harsh tone. She paused, softening her tone as she watched him lower his head again in shame. "Connor, I don't know exactly what you went through in that other dimension but believe me, I totally get what it's like to be angry at everyone around you and to blame them for what happened. I did some pretty stupid stuff after I found out who I really was, granted I only did things to myself but I was pretty bitchy to everyone around me. I felt like a total freak and that people didn't love me because they wanted to, but that they had to because of the implanted memories. It was awful." She sighed and took a deep breath in order to continue her diatribe. She had no idea if she was getting through to him. "My point is, it's okay to mess up but it's not okay to try to kill people, especially your father."

"I know," he said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I was just so angry and Holtz had told me so many horrible things about my father...I just didn't...All I knew was that I wanted him to hurt but I never wanted you to hurt. I love you too much for that."

Her eyes widened. "You what?"

* * *

"What does Angel have to do with this?" Xander demanded as he watched Buffy walk into the living room, avoiding the sleeping bodies on the floor. 

"Buffy," Cordelia responded with a groan. "You are the last person I want to talk to right now."

"What did Buffy do to you?" Gunn inquired with a frown.

"Never mind. I just don't want to talk about it."

Buffy sighed. "Guys could you give me and Cordelia a minute, please?

"Uh. Sure Buff. We'll just go help the watchers read their musty books. Come on Gunn."

Buffy waited until the two men had disappeared into the dining room and then walked over to where Cordelia was sitting. "Cordelia, I think you and I need to have a talk."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"I know," Buffy stated sadly. "And I can't say that I blame you but I want you to listen, okay?"

Cordelia nodded slowly as she wiped away more tears from her eyes. She had hated Sunnydale before coming back but now she _really_ hated it. It held nothing for her anymore and now neither did L.A. At least in L.A. she could find something else to do, maybe even concentrate on her acting again but Sunnydale was definitely a dead end. Always was, always will be.

"Look Cordelia, I know that you think that I love Angel and that he loves me. I can't speak for him but I can say this...I don't love Angel. Not that way. I'm in love with Spike."

"If that's true then why is Angel acting all possessive-y about you? Huh? He can't even tell me that he loves me anymore!"

"I know and I'm sorry that he's acting like King of the Jerks," she said comfortingly as she sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Listen, he's just being a typical man. Wants what he knows he can't have; that kind of thing."

Cordelia snorted. "Just something else Mr. Broody can get all dark and depressive about."

"Exactly," Buffy replied with a grin. "He doesn't really love me, not the me now. He's just in love with the idea of what we used to be. Seriously, what's the one thing that you know would get under his skin the most and make him act this way?"

Cordelia thought for a moment and then looked up at Buffy with wide, wet eyes. "Spike?"

Buffy nodded her reply.

"So he's acting all crazy because you're in love with Spike now?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Oh my god! He doesn't really love you then!" She declared standing up and smiling.

"Uh, probably not, no."

"Of course. I should have known. Thank you so much Buffy," she exclaimed as she threw her arms around the Slayer.

"Uh. Sure. I think."

"I am so going to go kick his ass now. Men!" With that Cordelia stomped off to track down the errant vampire.

* * *

"I said I love you Dawn," Connor responded as he locked his gaze on her eyes. Since he had let it slip while he had his head down, he figured it was important to look her in the eyes the second time, to make sure she knew that he meant it.

Dawn gasped in shock as she covered her mouth, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She had known that there was something developing between them but she hadn't dared to think it was anymore than a mutual like for one another. Now, she had no choice but to face her feelings for him head on. There was something about this that felt right, as if they had been made for one another. She didn't know what to say so instead; she sat quietly while the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Her silence cut through him like a knife. Had he said too much? Had the words been wrong? "Please Dawn, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not very good with these kinds of things. I'm better at killing and hurting. I'm sorry. Please don't cry." He reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, gently brushing a tear away with his thumb.

"I'm not upset," she managed to finally say as she leaned into his hand.

"Then what's wrong?"

She smiled slightly, looking into his eyes. "I love you too, Connor."

Now it was his turn to be shocked at her revelation. He had hoped, but hadn't known for sure. "I'm not worthy of your love Dawn. I've been horrible. I don't deserve you."

Her hand reached up and covered the one that was cupping her face. "Connor," she whispered. "There are a lot of things in this world that are more terrible than you'll ever be. All I ask is that you don't become one of them."

His eyes searched her face for reassurance that she was being honest, letting him back into her life. As soon as his eyes locked with hers, he knew that he had been forgiven and that she truly loved him. Slowly he leaned in to kiss her, his lips gently brushing hers. "I love you."

* * *

Xander stood on the back deck and watched as Angel paced the length of the backyard, stopping occasionally to mutter something to himself that only he could hear or understand. He knew that the vampire had to sense him, smell him, know that he was there otherwise, if he called out to him and surprised him that would not be of the good. Finally, Angel paused long enough for Xander to make his move. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. He had to be insane, out here about to face a vampire who could at any moment become the most vicious monster in the word. Yeah, he was insane all right.

"Angel?"

Angel spun around and looked at Xander, pain and confusion written on his face. "Xander. Hi. What's up?"

Xander snorted as he put his hands in his pockets and strolled over to where the vampire was standing. "What's up? Isn't that the question of the evening?"

"I'm not sure I follow..." Angel stated with a frown.

"Then let me make it perfectly clear for you. There's a very beautiful, young woman in the house who is beside herself because of you. And no, it's not Buffy, just in case you're wondering."

"Cordelia." He felt his stomach drop as he said her name. What had he done? The last thing he ever wanted to do was to hurt her.

"Yeah. That would be the one. She's pretty head over heels in love with you. At least it seemed that way to me. You know, I'm not the greatest person to be giving advice..."

"Then don't." Suddenly he felt very angry. He didn't want Xander, of all people, to be having this conversation with him. What did he know anyway; he was just a boy.

"But it's a good thing for you that I will anyway. You see, I know that you're trying to win Buffy back and that she's having none of it. Before you get all huffy with me, Buffy didn't tell anyone anything. It wasn't hard to figure out, what with you following after her like a lost puppy. I could have told you, you weren't going to get anywhere with her and saved you the trouble. How do I know this, you might ask. I've been there. I use to be the one waiting around for that little scrap of hope to fall off her table."

"You better have a point to all of this..."

"Hold your horses, dead boy. I'm just about finished. What I'm saying is this...Buffy is Spike's now. She probably has been a lot longer than she's willing to admit or that any of us are willing to accept, but she loves him and he loves her. So take it from some guy who's been there, waiting, if you've found something even remotely close to what you think you could have had with Buffy, then go for it. Embrace it. Never let it go. Don't let Cordelia slip through your fingers, man. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"Are you through?" Angel growled at him.

"Yeah. I'm done and feeling strangely ill. Excuse me while I go ask my girlfriend to eviscerate me. No need to do it yourself, An's got it covered."

"Relax Xander. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're not?"

"No."

"Oooookay. I should probably go then. Back inside. Where it's safe. Have a nice night." He turned quickly and almost stumbled over his own feet trying to make a hasty retreat into the house.

"Xander?"

Doh! He had been so close. He stopped abruptly, cringing and beating himself up for trying to get involved in something that was none of his business. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said giving Angel a nod and a slight smile. "One last thing..."

"You're really pushing your luck Xander..."

"I know. That's okay though. Don't wait too long to tell her you love her. Tomorrow's too uncertain." With that being said, he turned around and walked into the house, leaving the vampire to think about what he had said.  



	29. Calm Before the Storm

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** R - Some language, violence and adult content  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** While Buffy and Spike steal some alone time, Wesley and Lilah trade barbs and a little more...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Guidance & Understanding"_

  
- 29 -  
Calm Before the Storm

In the quiet darkness of the Summers' backyard, a lone figure paced back and forth along the fence. Once Xander had disappeared back inside, Angel had resumed his brooding and was now engaging in deep thoughts of his current situation. When had things become so complicated? Back in Los Angeles everything had been fine, simple even. Back there he knew that he loved Cordy and that she loved him. For three years he had been able to distance himself from Buffy and to make a new life, a life that now included good friends and a purpose other than looking after the Slayer. He was making a difference and saving lives, the champion of the Powers That Be. But here, here he was Angel again, Buffy's Angel and a part of him hummed whenever he was close to her. Maybe that would never change. Maybe it would just serve as a reminder to him of what they once had. Pausing for a moment, he looked up at the stars as if looking for the answers to his dilemma. The stars twinkled back at him but offered no solutions.

"They won't tell you anything," Cordelia sighed as she looked up at the stars herself. "Unless of course you're channeling Drusilla."

"Cordy, when did you come out?" He asked a bit startled that he hadn't sensed her. Had he been that lost in his thoughts?

"Oh, about five minutes ago."

"I see." He didn't know how to start, where to begin. All he knew was that he wanted to keep this woman in his life and not just as his friend and confidant. "I was just thinking..."

"So was I. Actually, I just talked to Buffy."

Suddenly he felt very nervous, something that didn't happen to him all that often. "You were talking to Buffy?" He watched as she slowly meandered around the bench towards him.

"Mmmhmm."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"You. Duh."

"Cordy listen, I'm really..."

"Stop."

"But I..."

"I said stop. I don't want to hear excuses," she stated as she spun around, her back now facing him. "All I want to know is what are you going to do about this?"

Angel looked down at his feet and shoved his hands in his coat pockets. Xander had been right about one thing; he shouldn't wait to tell her how he felt, especially with the uncertainty of tomorrow. "Cordy..."

"Yes?" She demanded folding her arms across her chest, waiting for his declaration of love. "I'm listening."

Slowly he walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Please look at me." Once she had turned to face him, he continued. "Cordy, I know that I haven't done the right thing or said the right thing since Dawn showed up in L.A...."

"You think?"

"Please. Let me finish. I realize I've messed up. Yes, I do love Buffy...now wait, don't start walking away, I'm not done!"

"Well then I suggest you wrap this up pretty darn quick mister because you're not scoring any brownie points here."

"I know. I'm sorry. As I was saying, I do love Buffy but I've come to realize something else."

"And that is?"

"I love you too."

* * *

Inside the Summers' home, the only lights burning in the night came from the dining room. William, Wesley, Gunn, Xander and Buffy sat around the table and were diligently thumbing through musty, old books and scrolls, looking for a way to stop the Master before he could ascend. So far, they had found nothing - not even a hint - of how to stop the Last Judgment.

Xander threw his book down on the table and sighed. "Okay, anyone else feeling like their eyes are permanently crossed?"

"Yeah. I'm right there with ya bro," Gunn stated as he tried to stifle a yawn.

Buffy stretched and closed her book. "I really don't think we're getting anywhere with this. Maybe we should take a break and get some rest."

"Not a bad idea Buffy," Wesley sighed. "We'll be of no use if we're falling asleep at the Master's feet instead of killing him."

"William and I will take the cots in the basement. Why don't the rest of you find a spot on the living room floor. I know it's not the most comfortable..."

"Buff, I could care less where I sleep right now," Xander explained. "I'm just too damn tired to care."

"Don't forget the couch opens up into a bed," William added as he watched Anya walk into the room.

"We'll take that," Anya declared. "You may not mind the floor Xander, but I need my rest and on a nice comfortable mattress."

Xander looked at his girlfriend and blinked hard, then looked back over at Buffy apologetically.

"It's okay Xander," Buffy laughed. "You and Anya can have the couch, if no one is presently sleeping on it."

Anya gave Buffy a bright smile. "Oh and Buffy, I just put Steven's...I mean Connor's clothing in the washer. I figured he'd want some nice clean clothing for when we face the Master."

"Uh. Okay Anya," Buffy stated with a frown. Even after knowing her for years, she still thought Anya was one strange person. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Come on Xander. Let's go get the couch." She grabbed his hand and tugged hard. Once he was on his feet he allowed her to guide him into the living room.

"I don't know how he does it," Gunn said, shaking his head in amazement.

"I think we all just deal now," Buffy replied with a smile. "Anya's not so bad. She's just, different."

"I'll say. Anyway, I'm off to snuggle up next to my woman on the floor...and Wes?"

"Yes Gunn?"

"Could you please do something about the bitch from hell? It's one thing for us to be awake and have her sitting in there all tied up safely, but it's another thing to have us all sleeping and her get loose. Know what I mean?"

"Yes Gunn. Rest assured; I will do something about Lilah."

"Thanks English. Night all."

"Night Gunn," Buffy said through a yawn.

William glanced over at Buffy to make sure she was holding up as well as she made it look. She _looked_ okay but he knew she was probably itching to go after the Master. "Wesley, will you be alright with taking care of Lilah by yourself?"

"I can handle Lilah," Wesley stated matter of factly. "I'm quite capable..."

"Okay. Good. I'm going to take my slayer to bed now. She needs her rest."

Wesley watched the electricity leap between the slayer and her watcher. "Yes, I'm quite certain she does." He watched as William picked up Buffy in his arms and carried her through the kitchen door towards the basement. He just hoped that the two of them would at least try to keep the noise level down with the others in the house trying to sleep. Somehow, he didn't think they'd be that lucky.

* * *

"Okay. So you love me," Cordelia retorted, not giving him one bit of an edge in this argument. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "How do you love me Angel?"

"How? What do you mean how?" He was startled by her tone and her attitude. He had just bared his soul to her. How could she question what he just said?

"I mean do you love me as a friend, as a sister, as a lover? How do you love me?" She asked, enunciating every syllable as she spoke.

He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "I love you, isn't that enough?"

"Frankly, no it's not, Angel. I want you to stop being Mr. Broody and just say what you feel for once. I'm tired of the quips and the cryptic messages. I'll ask you one more time, _how_ do you love me?"

"Cordy..." he frowned, not sure of how to proceed, especially with her current mood and state of mind.

"I'm waiting Angel. Now spill or I'm walking away."

"First of all, you can't walk away. Not with the Last Judgment. We're involved in this together."

"Fine. Then I'll leave after."

"Cordy, stop being like this. I've already told you that I love you..."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, refusing to back down from her question.

Angel sighed. "Alright. You've got me. I love you as the person I want to spend the rest of time with. I couldn't bear the thought of my life without you."

"I know," she stated with a bright, beaming smile.

"What? What do you mean you know?" Angel demanded, taking a step towards her with a shocked look on his face.

"I know. I just wanted to make you say it, make you work for it."

He snorted and shook his head. "Are you happy?"

"Yes," she declared as she threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely. "Now let's go inside, check on Connor and get some sleep."

"You're amazing."

Flashing him that same smile, she stated, "I know. Now come on." She intertwined her fingers in his and led him back towards the house.

* * *

William carried Buffy down the basement steps with ease, his gaze never leaving hers. Lucky for them, no one else caught on to the fact that there was plenty of room down there, and quite a few mattresses as well if he remembered correctly. He knew that Buffy'd had Xander bring her old mattress down to the basement after Warren had destroyed the front half of the house. It was still in good enough shape to be used in case of emergencies, like the Summers' home being fully packed, such as it was tonight. As he gently placed her on her feet and turned on the lights, a harsh white light surrounded them. At first he noticed that the room was a typical basement; full of junk and pipes but then he saw that part of the room had been closed off, a door now standing between them and the other side.

He looked at Buffy in puzzlement and then slowly opened the door, stepping into the darkness. He waited on the other side of the doorway as she flipped on the light. As the soft overhead lights flickered to life, he saw that he was now standing inside a newly created den.

"Do you like it?" She asked with a smile. Whenever she and Dawn hadn't been training or patrolling, they were down here working on making a part of the room look livable, a place where everyone could hang out and relax.

"Buffy it's amazing. Did Xander do this for you?"

"Yeah, for the most part. He did the electrical stuff and the dry wall. Dawn and I did the decorating. We thought maybe it would be a good place to hang out eventually, rather than at the Magic Box. Only Dawn, Xander and I know about it. I wanted to surprise everyone when it was finished and the TV was delivered, but now I guess there's no use in keeping it quiet what with the apocalypse on its way."

"Luv, this is absolutely incredible."

"The sofa down here pulls out into a bed as well. We really spared no expense."

He had noticed. Quickly he walked to the couch, threw the cushions aside and pulled out the bed. The sheets were already on it, just waiting to be used. He had to grin, Dawn must have done this, the Bit thinks of everything. Then he took notice of the candles sitting on the shelves. "Well, well, well. What have we here? Everything needed to make a romantic evening." If this was to be their last night together, then he wanted it to be special.

Buffy laughed at his child-like glee. Had she known that the den would have made him happy, she would have brought him down here sooner. "Somehow I don't think Dawn had this in mind when she bought those."

"That's okay," he stated with a mischievous grin. "No need for the Bit to find out what we're using them for, now is there?" After lighting the candles with his lighter, he turned off the lights and beckoned for Buffy to join him.

* * *

Wesley stood and stretched. It was time for him to take care of the Lilah problem. He had known it was inevitable and had been dreading it all evening. Despite the fact that he had engaged in a relationship with her under ulterior motives, he had developed feelings for her along the way. Perhaps if it had been a different time, a different place, things could have worked out differently for them. Closing his eyes, he slowly shook his head. How had he allowed himself to become this deeply entangled with her and why had he enjoyed his walk on the dark side so much? He knew he'd never have the answers to his questions; all he knew was that he had to get Lilah out of the house and away from Sunnydale.

"Hey Wes?" Angel asked from the bottom of the stairs. "Have you seen Connor? Cordy and I have been looking for him but he's not in the living room."

"Hmm? Oh. No. I'm sorry I haven't, not since he went upstairs for a shower. I'm sure he's fine. Perhaps you should ask Anya..."

"She's sleeping. I'll just go up and check for him up there."

Wesley nodded his response to his former friend but said no more, despite the fact that he could sense that Angel wanted to talk to him. He had nothing more to say. No more apologies. No more anything. He was out of words. Excusing himself from Angel's presence, he made his way into the living room, carefully picking a path through the sleeping forms on the floor. He took notice of the fact that they had moved Lilah to a back corner of the room, to make more space for themselves. He stopped to watch her. It appeared as if she was sleeping, but he knew better. When you're sleeping with the enemy you tend to pick up on certain things. He quietly stepped in front of her and waited for her to acknowledge his presence, but she continued to keep her eyes closed.

"Lilah. I know you're awake."

Slowly she opened her eyes to look at him, a sly smile playing across her lips. "I can't fool you, can I?"

He studied her face intently, looking for anything to make his feelings for her turn cold but he could find nothing. The knot in his stomach began to pull tighter.

"What? Do I have something on my face? I'd check but I can't since I'm all tied up. You know, we should have tried ropes. I bet we could have had a lot of fun..."

Instantly he was over her, kissing her passionately to stop her incessant prattling. He was surprised when she responded just as arduously. For several moments they were oblivious of their surroundings, lost only in themselves. Ever so slowly, Wesley broke the kiss but didn't back away, instead resting his forehead to hers. "I'm going to untie you and then I'm going to walk you to the car. I want you to leave Sunnydale immediately. Do you understand?" He could feel her nodding in agreement. "Good," he stated as he proceeded to free her of her bonds. As soon as he was finished, he grabbed her hand and led her out the back door into the night.

* * *

Buffy giggled like a schoolgirl as she approached William's outstretched hand. All thoughts of the Master and the world ending were lost as soon as he pulled her into a tight embrace. For just one more night, a stolen moment in time, she wanted to know happiness and to forget about everything else around her. She sighed contentedly as he wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her neck. This was so different than what they had been through the previous year, but their emotions, especially his, were the same. Despite telling herself that she had been using him to feel again, she knew deep down that she wanted to be in his bed, in his arms and in his heart. Yes, she knew he had been the slayer of Slayers and that he had been a monster, once upon a time but now, now he was just William...the man that she loved.

She shuddered as he nibbled at her ear and nipped at her neck, every synapse in her body firing as his roving hands explored her, finding skin under her sweatshirt. She moaned softly as he caressed her back with his fingers, such strong, wonderful fingers. Slowly she undid the buttons of his shirt while she kissed him fervently. She needed to feel his skin against her body and she knew he felt the same way because he broke off the kiss just long enough to remove her sweatshirt. As she kissed his chest and moved her hands up his strong arms, he pulled her closer to him, his hands trying to find the clasp to her bra. Once he removed the lacey bit of clothing standing between him her breasts, it was like a flurry of hands and mouths exploring and tasting skin that was hot and flush.

Suddenly, she felt as if she were floating. He had picked her up and was now carrying her to the makeshift bed, his face buried in her hair, breathing in the rich scent of vanilla. The next few moments felt like a blur to her. One minute they were on top of the covers kissing and fondling and the next they were naked and barely covered by the sheets, hands and mouths still anxiously covering every inch of flesh possible. So many sensations; she felt as if she could explode at any moment.

"Spike, I love you," she whispered to him as he began to tenderly kiss her breasts.

He stopped his ministrations to look into her eyes. "I love you too Buffy, more than anything or anyone I've ever known. You are my everything. My whole reason for being."

She was so overwhelmed by his words, that she felt like she was going to start crying right then and there.

Slowly he moved up her body to capture her lips in his. He could see the tears forming in her eyes and he wanted to stop them before they started. Whatever else might happen to them, whatever it was that they had been to each other in the past, tonight they were together as one heart.

The kiss became more intense as their need for one another continued to grow. Finally they could fight it no more; she needed him in her, filling her with his love. As she began to guide him to her, there was a knock at the door. Before they could even answer, the door opened and Angel burst in.

* * *

"Do you really think it's such a great idea that you walk me to the Magic Box?" Lilah asked as they slowly walked along the street.

"I believe we'll be fine as long as we keep our wits about us," Wesley replied. "Besides, if I'm correct, the Master will want me alive for tomorrow evening."

"You know I could kill you right now, on the spot, don't you?"

"Yes. I know."

"And you do know that Wolfram & Hart will make your life a living hell now, don't you?

"Lilah your threats do not worry me, especially in light of what the group and I are about to go through. So please do shut up if you have nothing constructive to say."

She was about to make a stinging retort, then thought twice about it and closed her mouth. He was right. She and the firm couldn't do anything more horrendous to him then what he was about to go through. Suddenly she felt cold. And alone. She folded her arms across her chest and continued to walk beside him.

"Are you cold?" He asked as he watched her huddle into herself.

"A little," she replied quietly.

"Here," he stated flatly, taking off his jacket and handing it to her. "Take this. You can give it back to me when we get to the car."

"Thanks," she said as they slowed down their pace so she could put on the jacket. Leave it to Wesley to be so damned cavalier in the face of impending doom. She wanted to yell at him, to shake him, god even to torture him for betraying her the way he did but there was also a part of her that admired his courage to do so. She thought they were even more alike now than ever before. Not that he was ever going to admit that.

Wesley shoved his hands into his pants pockets, picking up the pace. The sooner he got her to the car, the sooner he could get back to the house to do more research. He doubted very much if he would get any rest tonight. It felt as if the answer to destroying the Master and preventing the Last Judgment was right there within his grasp, if he could just concentrate enough...

* * *

"Buffy I just wanted to..." Angel stopped short and his eyes widened at the sight of his former lover and her boyfriend, getting ready to do the deed. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights. "I'm...I'm sorry," he stammered as he tried to turn his back to them but found he couldn't.

"Ever hear of waiting for a response, mate?" William growled. 

Buffy blushed as she sat up, making sure the sheet didn't expose any more of herself to Angel's eyes. She threw William a glance that told him to be quiet that they would get back to business as soon as Angel left. "What the hell do you want Angel?" She demanded, as she glared at her former lover. How dare he interrupt them, especially since she knew he had vampiric hearing and could probably hear what was going on behind the door. Then it struck her; there must have been a reason for him to come down here looking for her. Maybe something had happened upstairs...maybe something had happened to Dawn! "Is Dawn okay?" She pleaded when he didn't answer her right away.

"I'm sure things are fine Luv," William retorted. "The poofter here just wanted to get a free peek at what he can't have anymore, isn't that right Peaches?" He asked with a smug smirk.

Finally Angel gathered his thoughts and himself back together, enough so that he could turn around. "Dawn's fine. I-I just wanted to let you know that Connor is sleeping upstairs in bed with Dawn."

"He's what?" William roared, almost leaping out of bed but failing only because Buffy placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Angel?" Cordelia's voice called down the stairs. "Are you down there?"

Angel heard her but didn't answer. At the moment he was trying to calm down a very irate Spike. "Calm down Spike. Connor's on top of the covers and Dawn's under them. Nothing is happening."

"There you are," Cordelia stated as she entered the room. "I know you heard me so why didn't you...? Oh. Oh my." She turned her back on the nude couple that was covered only by a sheet.

William ignored Cordelia's entrance. "Damn right there better not be anything happening. I'll kill him myself if he touches her!"

"Spike, relax," Buffy stated, not realizing the sheet had somewhat fallen away from her chest. "If Angel says there's nothing going on, then there's nothing going on. No harm in letting them sleep together like that..." She put up her hand to stop his retort. "Under normal circumstances, there's no way I would permit this but Spike, we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. Let them sleep in each other's arms...just tonight."

William cocked his head to the side and studied her face. She was so beautiful in the candlelight. Then again, she was beautiful under any light. "When did you become such a romantic?" He asked her as he cupped her cheek in his hand.

She smiled warmly at him. "When I let myself love you."

He leaned in and kissed her gently at first but then more passionately as she responded. Suddenly, Angel clearing his throat interrupted them.

"Sorry Angel," Buffy stated as she blushed again. "Thanks for letting us know. Just let them be but keep Dawn's door open. She knows that's the rule when she has friends over."

"Spike," Cordelia stated reassuringly, still trying not to look directly at the couple. "If it makes you feel any better, Angel and I can sleep on the floor in her room. Just to keep an eye on things. Right Angel?"

Angel nodded his agreement.

"That would be great Cordelia," Buffy responded. "Will that make you feel better Spike?"

William eyed Cordelia and Angel for a moment and then sighed. "Yeah. It'll ease my mind. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Come on Angel. Let's let these two lovebirds alone. We've taken up enough of their time." She tugged on his arm to get him moving.

Angel hesitated a moment before letting Cordelia pull him through the door. "Uhm. I'm sorry that I...umm...interrupted."

"It's okay mate," William replied with a grin. "Just make sure you lock the door on your way out, so that we're not disturbed again." He saw Angel stiffen at the request and smiled to himself in triumph. Next time the bloody poofter would think twice about just barging in on them.

"Sure."

"Thanks Angel. Thanks Cordelia," Buffy stated as they reached the door. "Get some sleep."

"We will," Cordelia answered back. "See you in the morning" 

"Goodnight."

As soon as he heard the door click closed behind the vampire and the cheerleader, William picked up where they had left off, trailing kisses from her throat down to her stomach. He grinned as she twitched beneath him, knowing that she wanted more but making her wait.

She moaned softly in pleasure as he continued to use his mouth and tongue in places that sent colors bursting behind her closed eyes. "Please, Spike," she panted. "Please. I need you."

"I'm right here, pet," he whispered into her ear as he gently slipped his length into her moist, hot core. "I'll never leave you. I promise."

Their rhythm was nothing like the soft, gentleness of last night. This rhythm was more desperate and needy, two people coming together to find comfort in one another, both knowing that time was closing in on them. He stroked her deeply as she clung to him, panting and whimpering his name over and over again in his ear. Soon the tempo of their movement exploded into a crescendo of shudders and moans, each wondering if there was anything in existence sweeter than this act of coming together.

Soon after coming down from their high, William rolled onto his side, spooning the love of his life, knowing beyond belief that this was what he was meant for, what he had been born for. He nuzzled her neck and held her tight as they drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Wesley?" Lilah demanded again, this time shaking his arm to bring him out of his reverie.

"What?"

"We're here."

He took in his surroundings. Somehow they had gotten to the Magic Box in record time; either that or he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't been aware of his pace. "Indeed." Absently, he unlocked the car for her and opened the passenger door, waiting for her to climb in.

They stood quietly, eyeing one another, like a first date - both not knowing what to say. Finally, Lilah broke the silence. "Thanks for walking me to the...okay, that just sounds lame." She began to laugh softly.

Wesley snorted and smiled. "Yes. That was a bit on the lame side. Perhaps we shouldn't mess this up anymore than it already is by talking."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." She looked down at her feet as she leaned her back against the side of the car. "Don't go getting killed," she stated, pausing and watching Wes intently. As his steel blue eyes met her gaze, she smirked. "That's my job."

"Right," he stated dryly. "I'll make sure that I won't get killed because you've reserved that right."

"I'm serious," she said, her tone and face expressing the truth to her statement as his eyes bored through her, making her shudder. "Do you think...?"

"Perhaps another time, another place...maybe."

"Yeah. Maybe," she mussed as she stepped forward and kissed him fully on the mouth.

Only after a sound from the alley startled them, did they pull away from the kiss. She watched him tense as he looked around for the cause of the noise.

Gently he guided her into the passenger seat. "We need to go." After closing her door, he walked around the front of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. "I'll drive us back to Buffy's but then you must leave immediately once I'm inside."

She nodded her response.

They drove in silence for the ten minutes that it took to get to the Summers' home, each absorbed in their own thoughts and fears.

"Get as far away from here as possible, Lilah, and don't look back."

"If I didn't know better," she started with a grin. "I'd say you actually care for me Wesley Wyndham-Pryce."

He turned to her, his eyes again drilling into her core. "What makes you think I don't?"

She narrowed her eyes and frowned as his response sunk in. Before she had time to respond, he kissed her hard. Soon clothing was torn and rumpled and she found herself on his lap, straddling him. It was a good thing that he owned a spacious SUV, otherwise she would have felt like she was back in high school and doing it outside of her parents' home in her Ford Escort.

The car windows began to fog as their passion took over. Fifteen minutes later, sweaty and spent, Wesley sighed and ran his hands down her back. "If there's anything we can do well together, it's this."

"Mmm. I agree."

He pushed her up so that he could look her in the eyes. "Please take care of yourself."

"You too," she said with a frown. Slowly she removed herself from his lap, making a show of gathering her clothing so as to hide the fear on her face.

Quietly he pulled himself together and opened the door. Once he had her attention again, he threw the keys at her. "Goodbye, Lilah."

She caught the keys in mid air. "Goodbye, Wesley."

He walked around the car and stood on the sidewalk to watch her leave. After she had driven out of sight, he unhurriedly made his way back into the house to join the others who were already asleep.  


  



	30. Trials & Tribulations

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Buffy and William find themselves in front of the First Slayer while the rest of the group discovers that they're far from home with a surprise visit from a messenger who claims to be sent from The Powers That Be...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Calm Before the Storm"_

  
- 30 -  
Trials & Tribulations

The blazing sun was high overhead as the small group gathered around each other, huddling together mostly in fear. The desert sand was warm beneath their feet while a warm breeze gently blew their tunics and ruffled their hair. Xander stood with his arm around Anya, trying to comfort her despite his own growing concern. How had they gotten to this place and where in the hell were they? And why was he in a dress? He thought perhaps that it was their turn to be called since neither he nor Anya had experienced their vision up to that point. But something just felt wrong about it. It all felt "too" real. He and Anya were not alone; Tara, Willow, Connor and Dawn were with them, yet he still felt like each was stranded on their own piece of ground. While he continued to stand quietly next to his girlfriend, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Giles arrived.

"Is this real?" Dawn asked Giles, eyes wide with fear.

Giles took in his surroundings, studying the layout of the land. Crouching down, he picked up a handful of sand which he let flow through his fingers before answering. "I'm afraid so Dawn," he stated as he looked up and caught her gaze. He wanted to tell her that things would be okay but he didn't know that himself. He wasn't even sure how they had come to be here.

"You mean it's not a dream, we're really here?" Xander questioned uncertainly. "And would someone like to explain what we're all wearing?"

"It does feel real," Willow replied as she gripped Tara's hand tighter, making the girl wince slightly.

Angel frowned and turned to the two watchers. "I didn't think the trials began until tomorrow night."

"Apparently someone was wrong." Xander snarked. "And hello, still in a dress here. How are we supposed to fight evil in a dress?"

"You're quite right Angel," Wesley replied as he looked off into the distance, choosing to ignore Xander's stress over their unmanly garments. "Something isn't right." Suddenly he turned to Giles. "Do you think that perhaps we miscalculated and that the trials begin prior to the Last Judgment? I mean, in a way it does make sense. In order for the Master to attain his ascension and continue into the Last Judgment, he would need all of our powers to do so."

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and then rubbed his eyes. "It is quite possible that we were wrong..."

"Possible?" Cordelia demanded. "I'd like a little more than possible!"

"I second that!" Dawn cried as Connor gently put his arm around her shoulders. She hadn't realized that she had begun to shake.

"Now everyone, please do remain calm," Giles stated, trying to take charge of the situation that they all found themselves in at the moment. "We must be reasonable and prudent. We have no idea if the trials are beginning or not..."

"Hey," Xander interrupted. "What's that?" He asked, pointing to three people around a small fire in the distance.

"That looks like Buffy and Spike!" Anya chirped. "We should go over there and be with them. There is safety in numbers, especially with a Slayer and a very powerful human."

Giles took a step forward to get a closer look. Closing his eyes, he felt the dread begin to course through his body. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we cannot interrupt them."

"Why not?" Angel demanded, becoming angry that they were separated from the other two.

"Because," Giles sighed. "They are with the First Slayer."

"Like in the first slayer I'm thousands of years old, first slayer?" Xander asked with a frown.

"No," Giles answered. "More like a spirit guide. They are probably receiving their instructions at the moment."

"Okay. So who's gonna be _our_ spirit guide, huh? Who's gonna give _us_ instructions on how to defeat the Master? We are going to get instructions, right?" Xander asked, looking first to Giles and then to Wesley for answers.

"I'm your guide," a feminine voice suddenly called from behind them.

* * *

As the stars twinkled in the desert night, Buffy sat quietly on the rock next to William. Her blonde hair fell loose around her face and blew gently in the breeze and her tanned skin almost glowed in the moonlight. She knew this place. It was very familiar, as if she had been here a hundred times but yet couldn't quite remember it. The fire in front of them crackled and popped to life. The déjà vu that was tugging at the back of her mind suddenly leapt to the forefront and shouted at her, screaming to be heard. Immediately, her body stiffened and her eyes widened in recognition of the form that appeared through the fire.

"What is it Luv?" William asked as he felt her body tense. He was unaware of the presence that was slowly moving back and forth on the other side of the fire until he followed Buffy's gaze. His eyes came to rest on a woman, or what he thought was a woman. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate and her hair was dark and unkempt. She looked as if she were thousands of years out of place.

"No," Buffy whispered as she closed her eyes tightly. "I don't want to be here. Spike please wake me up," she begged. "Now!" The last time she had seen this person, she had been told that her gift was death. She could only imagine what it was she was going to be told now.

Helplessly William stared at her, unable to do what she asked of him. They weren't sleeping, at least not as he could tell. He pulled her close and placed an arm around her lovingly, hoping that it would calm her. "Buffy luv, what's wrong? Who is she?"

"Do not be afraid," the woman across from them stated as she continued her swaying.

"I'm not afraid," William replied, still trying to get Buffy to relax and open her eyes. "But I'm not so sure about her..."

"I'm not afraid," Buffy snapped. "I just don't want to be here. I don't want to talk to you."

"But you must. How else will you know how to proceed?"

"I'll wing it. I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal. I think I'll manage. I have before without your help. Come on, Spike. We're leaving." She stood up, glaring at the woman.

Sensing that this vision, dream or what have you, was somehow vital to their quest, he stood up next to her and whispered in her ear. "Uhm, Buffy, I really think we should listen to what this bint has to say. It could be important..."

"No. I already know what she'll say. 'Death is your gift'. I've heard it all before. No need to hear it again."

"But death _is_ your gift," the First Slayer stated, appearing as if she were walking through the fire.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Been there, done that and have the scars to prove it. The last time you told me that death was my gift I jumped off a tower to save the world."

William's eyes widened as shock registered on his face. He turned his head slightly to get a better look at the woman across from him. This was the person that had given Buffy the strength to save the world from Glory, the one that had given her the fortitude to leave them all behind. Suddenly anger welled up within him as he replayed the night of her death in his mind, feeling everything again as if it were happening right now. He clenched his fists and glared at the woman. "What do you want from us?" He demanded.

"I want nothing, I give everything."

"Cryptic much," Buffy growled as she took a step forward towards the ancient woman.

"Luv, calm down." He forced himself to say it to her even though he was feeling far from calm himself. They needed information and they needed it from this woman so staying calm was the key. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Maybe she knows how to stop the Master."

"Fine. You ask her. I'm tired of puzzles."

"Alright," he stated as he turned to the First Slayer. "Can you tell us how to defeat the Master?"

"Life. Life is your gift. It will defeat all evil and bring you closer to your purpose."

"Uh, that's not what I asked..."

"See, I told you. Puzzles," she retorted as she folded her arms over her chest. Her body language clearly stating that she was beyond annoyed and quickly approaching pissed off.

William sighed and closed his eyes. "Buffy, why don't you try?"

"It's not going to get us anywhere..."

"Just try, okay?"

"Whatever. Look," she said stepping closer to the fire yet again. "Do you know anything or not?"

"Your gift remains the same."

"My gift? Great. Spike gets life and I'm still with the death thing."

"Your gift is death. His gift is life."

"Yeah. I think we got that the first time," William snarked. "The fact still remains that you haven't given us one bloody thing..."

"I have answered your question." With that, she and the fire slowly disappeared from sight.

"Where'd she go?" William demanded, anger tingeing his voice as he scowled.

"Have I told you lately how much I really hate her? Now what?"

"Now," William replied as he walked over to her and held her in his arms. "We either wake up from this bloody nightmare and let Giles know about it..."

"Or?"

"I don't know," he answered simply as their surroundings slowly drifted from their sight. "But I think we're about to find out."

* * *

"I will be your guide," Joyce stated as she walked over to the group, giving them a comforting smile.

"Mom?" Dawn asked, hope and love filling the one word question.

Joyce smiled again and opened her arms so that her youngest daughter could run into them. As she pulled Dawn into a loving embrace, she looked towards the group with dancing eyes. "It's so good to see all of you again. It's been a long time."

"Yes, yes it has," Giles replied, clearing his throat.

"Joyce," Angel nodded in acknowledgment.

"Angel. Nice to see you again." Not really, but she didn't have to tell him that.

"So you are to be our guide?" Wesley asked, cocking his head to the side and frowning. "I don't remember reading anything about a spirit guide..."

Once she released Dawn from the embrace, she placed her arm around her daughter and joined the group. "I'm not really a guide. Not really. I'm more of a messenger. A harbinger, for The Powers That Be." She smiled warmly and placed her other arm around Tara. "Thank you so much for watching over my baby."

"You're welcome Mrs. Summers," Tara answered. "Dawn is a great girl."

Joyce turned to look at Dawn, love and regret passing over her face in the same instant. "Yes she is. Growing up so fast," she said as she kissed Dawn's forehead and pulled her tighter to her body.

Giles cleared his throat again and smiled at Joyce, but never really looking at her. He hadn't really been able to look her in the eye ever since that night they had eaten the chocolate bars and had engaged in some...adult activity. "You say that you're a messenger, from the Powers..."

"Yes."

"Well good," Xander interrupted. "Could you deliver a message to them from us? Could you tell them that next time we're supposed to save the world to dress us in something more...suitable?"

"Xander, do shut up." Giles growled at the boy. "We have bigger problems at the moment than to worry about what our attire looks like."

Xander shuffled his feet and looked down at them. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Joyce, please continue. What is it that you are here to tell us?"

* * *

She smiled at them, the sadness of it all tugging at her heart but her face never betraying her true feelings. She was here to do a job and nothing else should matter, but it did. Dawn mattered. Rupert mattered, more than she ever let on, and so did Willow, Xander, Anya and Tara. They were Buffy's closest friends, her daughter's anchors in her tumultuous life. She wanted to tell them all that things were going to be okay and that everyone would make it out the other side alive, but then that would be a lie, wouldn't it?

Giles studied her face. He could sense that what she had to say probably wasn't going to be pleasant. Instinctively, he knew that she was probably going to withhold something from them as well. It would be her right, and duty, as the messenger for the Powers. She probably knew more about what was going on than she was allowed to share with them. After all, if she did share, that would cause an unfair advantage on their part, causing a shift in the balance between light and dark. Evil would never be properly defeated. He watched as she tilted her head to the side and closed her eyes, as if listening to a voice only she could hear. The Powers must be prodding her along, he thought, telling her that it was time to proceed.

Joyce continued to smile warmly at them as she took a mental snapshot of the group. It would more than likely be the last time she saw them for a while and she wanted to be able to picture them together, somewhat happy...and alive. She closed her eyes as the Powers gave her that nudge to continue with the mission. It was becoming a lot more difficult than she thought it would be to do this. She had been hesitant about accepting the position at first, she didn't know if she could honestly separate her feelings for her children and that of the job she had to do but she realized why she had been picked, these people knew her and trusted her. If anyone could get through to them, it would definitely be her and she needed to do it now, time was running out.

"Joyce?" Giles asked softly, prodding her to continue. She had been silent too long and he was afraid that the others would misconstrue her intentions and begin to doubt their purpose.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to rest for a moment and just look at you all," she said as she hugged Dawn tightly again. Yes, this was definitely more painful than she had imagined. It was time to pull herself together and give these people a fighting chance. "You must already know why you are here, why you've all been brought to this place..."

"The trials," Angel replied stoically.

She nodded. "It's not going to be easy. Each one of you will face your own demons, your own horrors, but you must remember...you've been paired for a reason. Where one is weak, the other is strong. You must rely on each other and have faith in one another. Without trust and teamwork, you will not survive." She looked at them again, her eyes full of concern and worry. Had they understood what she had said? Had her words gotten across to them? "Please tell me you understand..." They nodded back to her in unison. Though they had answered her one way, she couldn't help but still feel as if her words had fallen upon deaf ears. "I have to go now..."

"Mom, no!" Dawn screeched as she tightened her grip around her mother's waist. "Please don't go. I need you. Please." She was sobbing, begging for her to stay. "Don't leave me again. Please don't leave me again."

Joyce sadly looked down at her daughter. "Darling, I can't stay. I'm sorry." She looked over towards Rupert, eyes pleading for him to do something to help ease the pain and suffering of her child.

While the others watched quietly, Giles walked over to Dawn and tried to gently ease the girl away from her mother. "Dawn, you must let go. Your mother cannot stay here with us. She has her own destiny to look after."

"But..." Dawn whined and sniffled.

His gentle pulling became firmer the more she fought him. Finally, after locking eyes with Joyce and seeing the pain and frustration, he pulled the screaming girl away and held her tightly. He was grateful when Connor came over to offer his arms to her which she readily accepted, still sobbing and broken. The others helped Connor tend to Dawn while he and Joyce said their goodbyes.

She reached out, gently caressing his cheek with her hand and giving him a sad smile. "There were things that I wanted to tell you, hoped that you would say to me..." She searched his eyes, trying to figure out if she should continue with her words.

"I know. I'm sorry we never got to act upon those feelings."

"Things were so complicated," she laughed.

"They always are on the Hellmouth, are they not?"

"So true. Please continue to take care of my girls for me. You're the closest thing to a father they've ever had and the only man I ever let back into my heart...even though I never told you."

"I always knew. Somehow." He gently brushed his lips across hers as he held her in his arms.

"Goodbye Rupert," she said as she stepped back. "Goodbye everyone. Please remember what I've told you."

They watched in silence as her form slowly faded away. Giles looked down at the ground and closed his eyes. Some days he really hated his life, and this was turning out to be one of them. As he turned back to the group, a blinding flash of light appeared from the sky. When it had passed, Anya and Xander were gone.  


  



	31. The First of Many

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Xander and Anya awake to find they are the first to face the trials but when things go deadly wrong, Xander blames the one person we'd never expect...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Trials & Tribulations"  
**Warning:** Contains Character Death_

  
- 31 -  
The First of Many

"Xander? Xander wake up," Anya pleaded as she shook him several times. She had wakened a few minutes before and was not at all happy to find that they had been separated from the others.

"Hmmmm?" He asked sleepily. "Just a few more minutes, An. The alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

"Xander LaVelle Harris, wake up this instant!" She demanded firmly as she punched him in the arm, hard enough to get her point across.

"What?" He demanded grouchily. "What is so important that it can't wait until morning?"

She glared at him. "Open your damn eyes and you might understand."

Slowly he opened his eyes, looked around and then sat bolt upright. The sun was no longer high in the sky but was setting over the horizon causing everything to be a deep shade of purple. "Wait. Weren't we just with...?"

"Yes."

"And didn't we just see...?"

"Yes."

His mouth dropped open as if to say something but he just gaped instead. After collecting himself, he continued. "Okay, so...what does this mean?" He asked, gesturing with his hands and then scrunching up his face. "And why am I still in this damn dress?"

"I'm guessing, and it's just a guess here, that we've been chosen to face our trials first. As for the dress, it's not a dress, not really. It's called a tunic and was quite fashionable at one time."

He looked at her with an exasperated expression. "Luck and meTwo things that don't go together. Ever. I wonder why we got picked to go first?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe because you're the only real human of the group? I mean I'm human too, now, but I was once a demon and a pretty good one at that. Giles and Wesley are human but they're both very powerful magic casters, same with Willow and Tara."

"So prey on the weakest link first type thing?"

"Yes. That's what I would have done when I was a demon. You always want to find the weakest and take them out first. Get it over and done with. Makes things tidier in the end."

He shook his head and looked away from her. Leave it to Anya to tell it like it is and not even bat an eyelash doing it. Wonderful. Now what? They were alone and it was getting darker by the minute. He figured it was just a matter of time before it was pitch black. Standing up, he surveyed the area. There wasn't much around but rocks and sand. "We should probably look for weapons or something," he stated, thinking that it would be a good idea just in case their trials didn't involve hugs and puppies.

"I've already looked, when I was waiting for you to wake up. There's not much here. Just some rocks."

"I wonder when things are going to get started? Not that I'm excited to get this show on the road or anything but if I'm gonna die...actually, I'd rather _not_ die."

"Xander don't be silly. You're not going to die."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a circle of torches lighted around them. "Uh, An? Where did they come from?"

* * *

"Is everyone alright?" Giles asked with concern as he picked himself up off the ground. The last thing he remembered was a bright light and then blackness. Blinking hard, he tried to take in the group. Everyone appeared to be fine.

Wesley stood, trying to test his equilibrium. He wasn't sure how long they had been unconscious; it couldn't have been too long since the sun hadn't moved in the sky. Perhaps it had just been an instant.

"I think we're all okay," Willow replied while helping Tara to her feet. "What do you think that was?"

"A translocation," Wesley responded looking grim. He had begun scanning their surroundings when the thought had occurred to him.

"A who?" Cordelia asked with a frown.

"A translocation," Giles repeated in a whisper. "Who's missing? Is everyone accounted for?"

"Xander's missing!" Dawn suddenly yelled; eyes wide and full of fear.

"So's Anya," Tara added.

"Then it's started," Wesley stated with a sigh. "There's nothing we can do now."

"So...what? Are we just gonna get picked off by pairs now? Is that what they're going to do?" Cordelia demanded as she stepped into the middle of the group. "Cause I gotta say, if that's the case, it sucks."

"Quite." Giles agreed as he sat down on a large rock.

"Why did they take Xander and Anya first? I know someone had to go first, but why them?" Willow asked on the verge of tears. Her best friend since childhood was now out there somewhere facing something awful and she couldn't be there to help him. It was too much.

Giles looked at his hands and shook his head. "I don't know Willow. I don't suppose there's neither rhyme nor reason as to how we're going to be picked. We just will be."

Wesley walked over to the rock and sat down next to Giles. He was deep in thought. "I'm sure," he mussed. "That there is a pattern to the choosing, but we won't understand it until the next pair has been taken. I know that's not what everyone wants to hear, but we have no choice."

"You mean we can't even try to find them?" Dawn asked as she clung to Connor.

"I'm afraid not," Wesley replied. "We have no idea where they have been taken, if they're even in this dimension."

"I could try a locator spell," Willow suggested, quickly sitting down on the ground and crossing her legs.

"That's not a good idea," Giles stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You need to save your powers. You have no idea what your trials will entail."

"I can't just leave them out there!"

"Yes, Willow. I'm afraid you're going to have to. There is no choice in the matter."

"There has to be something!" Willow cried, anger rising up within her.

Wesley shook his head. "I'm sorry Willow, but Giles is right. We cannot help them through this."

* * *

Xander placed a protective arm around Anya as his eyes quickly swept the area within the lighted circle. It was a large circle, about one hundred feet in diameter but he could see nothing beyond it. It was as if nothing else existed but them and the fire. "This can't be of the good," he whispered, holding on to Anya tighter than before. "Have you seen anything like this before?"

"No. Never. I've seen a lot of things in my time but I've never been part of an attempted Last Judgment. Heard stories, yes, but never thought they were true. Demons like to talk big, ya know. Like 'I was there' or 'you should have seen what I did to the guy who tried it'. Stuff like that."

"Well," Xander stated as his eyes widened at the sight of a demon entering the ring. "I think you better start remembering some of those stories cause we're about to get underway."

The demon lumbered into the circle, eyes fixed on its prey. It didn't know how it had gotten here or why, but it knew it had been hired to destroy these two humans.

"It's a Fyarl demon." Anya stated matter of factly.

"You mean the same thing that Giles turned into that last time Ethan came to town?" He asked turning towards his girlfriend, eyes wide.

"That's the one."

"Okay. So let's kill this thing," he stated stepping forward as anger began to take control of him.

"Xander no! We can't just kill him by breaking his neck or anything. We need silver."

"Silver?"

"Fyarl demons can be killed by anything silver."

"News flash here, look around, there's nothing even remotely silver available to us."

"I know that, but maybe I can remember a spell to turn a rock into silver or something."

"I think you better think fast with that spell cause he's looking kinda hungry." Silver or no, he was going to take this thing out...with his bare hands if need be.

"Just keep him busy."

"Uh, right. How do you suggest I do that?" He asked as he watched her draw a circle around herself in the sand. "Play tiddly winks with him?"

"Do whatever you think is best, sweetie."

"Right," he stated as he frantically looked around for something to keep the monster at bay. Suddenly an idea crossed his mind. "Okay big boy, let's see what you can do with fire." Grabbing a torch out of the ground, he jabbed at the demon, which notably flinched away. "Ah ha! So not big with the fire, huh?"

The demon eyed the boy with the fire cautiously. Fire bad. All it wanted was to crush the male and then have some fun with the female. 

Xander felt, more than saw the demon lunge for Anya. In a matter of seconds, he had moved to place his body between that of the demon and Anya who had started chanting something. "No way are you going to touch my girlfriend," he growled as the anger finally consumed him. He lunged at the demon, fire in hand and jabbed at it with the torch over and over. The demon howled in pain as its flesh singed and burned. "I'm really tired," jab "of having to fight demons," jab, jab "who want to hurt the women I love."

Anya, silver dagger now in hand, looked up in time to see the mucous shoot out of the demon's nose. "Xander watch out!" But the warning was too late. She watched helplessly as Xander's body was encased in the paralyzing mucous.

Xander fell to the ground with a thud. He tried to get back up but found he couldn't move. His eyes widened in horror as the demon picked him up, and began crushing him. He heard his bones snapping as the pain became blinding and hot, his life flashing before him in a series of pictures and sounds. He thought he heard Anya scream something before he felt himself fall to the ground in a broken heap.

Anya stood over the demon, her hands bloody and shaking. She watched quietly as the body disappeared from sight, not understanding why or how. Turning she ran over to Xander and kneeled beside him. "I told you to distract him, not attack him. Why didn't you listen to me?" She was distraught as she looked at him, his body bleeding and struggling for breath. "You never listen to me. Why don't you ever listen to me?" She was almost hysterical now.

"I-I'm sorry," he managed to reply between gasps. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Why do you have to be so loyal?" She demanded as she struggled to not sob in front of him.

"I told you nothing good would ever come out of your relationship," a voice stated from behind them.

* * *

Anya turned her head to peer over her shoulder, searching for the source of the voice. At first she saw nothing, but then a darkly clad figure stepped into the circle. Quietly she watched as the form removed the hood of the cloak. She inhaled sharply as recognition set in. "Halfrek!"

"Anyanka," Halfrek stated with disdain.

Turning back to Xander, she tried to make him as comfortable as possible. His eyes were closed and his breathing was shallow, if she didn't get him help soon she wasn't sure he would make it. "Thank goodness you're here," she cried. "Xander's hurt. I'm afraid he might be..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word.

Anya's back was still to her so she knew that her friend couldn't see the smile that was slowly creeping across her face. "And that affects me how?"

Anya frowned as she slowly turned around. "What?" She demanded, freezing at the sight of Halfrek's expression, terror and dread began coursing through her body.

Halfrek laughed at the look of horror on Anya's face. "My dear friend Did you think I came to help you after everything?"

Tears streamed down Anya's cheeks as she shook with a mixture of fright and anger. She didn't have time to get into this with Halfrek, not now, not with Xander so close to death. Taking a deep breath and straightening up, she moved to stand in front of her friend. Crossing her arms over her chest, she hugged herself closely as she looked at her friend through watery eyes. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"Let me think about that a second," Halfrek replied with a smirk as she tilted her head to the side as if contemplating the request. Her eyes narrowed as she continued. "I believe my answer is, not."

"What?" Anya asked, shocked and somewhat appalled at her friend's behavior. "Xander is dying. How can you just stand there and not help me?"

She sighed as she looked over at the broken form on the ground, her tone deadly serious. "Very easily. I'm not here to help. Think about it Anyanka. Why would I be here now, of all times?"

Still hugging herself, a look of confusion spread over Anya's face. "I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do, Anyanka."

Anya suddenly gasped as she finally realized what Halfrek was getting at. "No. No you can't be," she whispered.

"But I am, and I'm going to kick your sorry excuse for a demon ass all over this circle and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it."

"Why are you so spiteful? What have I ever done to you Halfrek? I took you in and gave you a job when you became human..."

"That's it right there. Even after you became a demon again you just couldn't leave your humanity behind, could you? No. You had to drag me into it by pleading with me to help your little mortal friends. And what did I get in return, certainly not your thanks or theirs for that matter. I was punished. I had the one thing taken away from me that made me who I am."

"Don't you dare blame me for your problem, Halfrek! You didn't have to help. You _chose_ to help knowing full well what the punishment would be if you did!"

"Whatever. I have another appointment to go to. Can we just fight now?"

"I'm not going to fight you Hali." Her face showed her exhaustion as her shoulders slumped.

"You don't have a choice you know. It's either kill or be killed. What's it going to be Anyanka?"

Anya slowly looked over to where Xander's broken body lay on the ground. There was no movement and she couldn't tell if he was still breathing. She needed him to be okay but she also knew that it was up to her to get him help. If that meant having to kill someone she had been a friend with for centuries, then so be it, Xander was more important. Turning back to Halfrek, she glared at the woman before she spoke. "Alright. Fine. Let's get this over with."

"Splendid," Halfrek stated smiling sweetly. "The rules are; there are no rules. Oh, and your demon powers have been returned to you to make this a fair fight. Let's just see who can summon the worst thing possible on the other."

"How about we just go for an old fashion cat fight first?" Anya asked as she tackled Halfrek to the ground. She rolled Halfrek onto her back and grabbed a handful of hair, tugging hard.

"Ow! Stop that!" Halfrek exclaimed as she grabbed a handful of Anya's hair and pulled. While holding onto Anya's hair with one hand she began trying to scratch her face with other.

"Bitch!" Anya screamed as one nail raked her cheek, taking a small layer of skin with it, beads of blood forming in its place. She let go of Halfrek's hair and began punching her face.

As Anya began to gain the upper hand by trying to choke the life out of her, Halfrek chanted a few words between gasps and sent Anya flying to the other side of the circle. Slowly she picked herself up off the ground, her hand flying to her neck, trying to rub away the pain that Anya had caused. "You stupid little girl. You don't get it do you? You can't harm me by conventional means. You have to take my life with magic. It's the only way."

"I'm not doing this anymore. I'm not. It's over."

"It's not over by a long shot, Anyanka. If you don't kill me, lover boy over there dies. Do you want that?"

"Anya, I'm dead either way," Xander stated forcefully between gasps. Neither woman had noticed him swim back into consciousness.

"Xander," Anya screamed as she ran to him and dropped to her knees beside him. "Stop. Don't say that. You're not going to die."

"I am," he said, smiling weakly as his eyes started to flutter closed once again. "So go kick her ass."

"Xander?" She pleaded. "Don't die." There was no response. A sob escaped her body as she stood, gathering all of her courage and strength. "Halfrek, I'm going to plead with you one last time. Please help me get him out of here. If I ever meant anything to you..."

"If you ever meant anything to me? You're kidding, right? Anyanka we were never friends, not in the truest sense. We were always co-workers who were trying to out do each other. I didn't mean a thing to you, but you meant a great deal to me. I looked up to you and now because of you, I've been reduced to this." She was shouting now and gesturing wildly. Her face was flushed and fury shone in her eyes. "I blame you for everything, well, almost everything. But it's because of you that I became human again and it's because of you that I had my heart broken again. Do you know what it feels like to get your heart ripped out?"

"Yes," Anya screamed. "I was left at the altar, remember?"

"But the two of you worked it out, didn't you? And now you're ready to kill me to save him. So, no, I don't think you understand. I have nothing now. Nothing. You took it all away from me. Now it's your turn to know how it feels."

"Hali, no. Don't do this," Anya pleaded.

Halfrek laughed as she held out her hand, chanting in Latin.

Anya looked down and suddenly a bloody, gaping hole appeared in her chest. She looked at Halfrek in shock and then her eyes traveled to Xander. "I'm sorry," she whispered before her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground, lifeless.

Halfrek walked over to where Xander lay on the ground and crouched down beside him. She held out her bloodied hand, Anya's still beating heart in her palm.

Xander opened his eyes slowly and gagged as he took in the scene. "Anya," he wheezed. He closed his eyes and let the tears flow, wishing for death to come faster.

"What's left of her anyway," Halfrek replied with a smile. "Would you like me to wrap it? No, I guess not. You won't have a use for it where you're going. Ta-ta Alexander; you loser" She disappeared into the night, leaving Xander to breathe his last breaths alone.

"Willow," Xander whispered, feeling his life force ebbing away. "Where are you?"

Just then a blinding flash of light turned the darkened night into day. Willow and Tara suddenly stood in the circle, bewilderment and fright etched on their faces.  


  



	32. Pain Times Two

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. Scene re-enactment borrowed from "Villains", written by Steven DeKnight. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** After Anya and Xander's deaths, Willow and Tara are the next to face their trials, but can Willow pull herself together in time to defeat what lies before them...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "The First of Many"  
**Warning:** Contains Character Deaths_

  
- 32 -  
Pain Times Two

Willow and Tara had just been standing in broad daylight so it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust to the shadows and firelight. They squeezed hands as the two tried to take in their surroundings. Neither one of them could see anything outside of the circle; it was pitch black and ominous. Willow's eyes swept the ground around her, her senses on overload. Something was wrong, off. Her stomach tightened as her gaze fell upon a bloody form on the ground. Her eyes widened as she gasped at the sight of Anya's corpse.

"Anya?" Willow whispered; her voice caught in her throat and her legs feeling rubbery.

"Oh my god," Tara gasped. "Is she...?"

Willow slowly crept over to the still form, pushing herself, knowing full well what she'd find but knowing that she had to see it for herself. She knew instantly that their friend was no longer among the living. No one could survive having their heart ripped out. Not even Anya. What would do something as horrible as this? "She's gone..." The words barely made it out of her mouth as a sob escaped from Tara.

She tried to cover her mouth before the sob escaped but it had come too quickly. "What do you think happened?" The how was obvious enough, but she needed to know the why and what, hoping that it would give them some insight in what they were to face.

"I-I don't know, Tara. Something awful did this to her, something..." She stopped in mid-sentence as she heard a soft moan come from her left. "Xander?"

"Willow?"

She ran to the sound of his weakened voice and found him bloody and battered in a heap on the ground. She could hear his chest rattle with each breath he took. "Xander, what happened?"

His answers came in short sentences, each word a difficult task. "Demon. Like Giles. Stupid me. Should have listened. Anya."

"Shhh, try not to talk," she said as she ran her one hand across his forehead, moving his sweat slicked hair from his eyes. She took his other hand in hers and held on to him as tightly as she could without causing more pain. "Tara and I are going to try to get you out of here..."

"No. No. Dead already. Matter of time. All _your_ fault." His eyes fluttered open briefly as if to emphasize his last statement.

"What?" Willow demanded, somewhat shocked and stricken by his words, her face clearly showing her pain.

"Your fault."

"Xander, you don't mean that..." Tara stated softly as she knelt next to him as well.

"My fault?"

"The wish. Your fault," he whispered, swallowing hard. The words were harder now as the blackness and cold started to envelope him. The edges of his vision became grayer. He knew that his end was coming, swiftly now. Damn her for making that wish.

Willow quickly looked over at Tara, pain in her eyes and then she rested her gaze back on her friend. "Xander..." she started gently, searching his eyes frantically for forgiveness, something, anything that said he really didn't believe she was responsible for all of this. She watched as his chest rose and fell one last time. "Xander! No!"

Tara moved quickly to the other side of Xander and felt for a pulse. There was none. Slowly she moved her hand over his eyes and ever so gently closed them while Willow sobbed. Anya and Xander had not survived their trials. It didn't bode well for the rest of them.

* * *

"Well?" Cordelia demanded, looking from Wesley to Giles and then back again. Her hands were on her hips and she was tapping her right foot.

Giles and Wes exchanged furtive glances. They were pretty sure they knew the pattern now, but it would take the next disappearances to confirm it.

"Cordy, let it go," Angel stated, trying to calm her down.

"No! I, for one, am not going to sit around here waiting for the transport to wherever it is we're going. We need to do something."

"It's not that simple Cordelia," Giles replied, frustration clearly coating his voice. "We cannot just go out there and try to find whatever it is that's separating us..."

"And why not? At least we'd be doing something positive instead of sitting around here waiting for our deaths, or whatever."

"We are not being killed off Cordelia," Wesley growled.

"Not that we know of anyway. Who's to say that we're not just being taken and killed right away, huh?"

Giles sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Cordelia, please. Sit down and be quiet."

Glaring at Giles, Cordelia walked over to Angel and sat down next to him in the warm sand. "Great. Now I'm gonna have sand in all the wrong places. What was I thinking?"

"Aren't you all glowy and all knowing?" Dawn asked the former cheerleader, interrupting the girl's rant about sand and where it usually ends up. "I mean, you get visions from the Powers, right? Can't you find out what's going on?"

Cordelia looked at Dawn, a frown covering her face. "I _receive_ visions, Dawn. Big difference. I can't just go inducing them."

"Sorry. Just asked."

Giles and Wesley joined the other four on the ground. "We think we know the pattern," Giles stated hesitantly. "And if we're correct, Wesley and I will be next."

"How do you know?" Dawn asked with concern. The thought of being left here without Giles made her stomach churn.

"It's all connected. Xander and Anya were chosen first because Xander is the only true human of the Twelve. Willow and Tara next because of Willow's life long friendship with Xander as well as the connection of working together."

"So why does that make you and Wesley next?" Angel asked with a frown.

"Because," Wesley continued as his hard gaze settled on Angel. "Giles is connected to Willow and Tara. He brought them to study under the Coven in England and has worked with Willow since coming to Sunnydale for Buffy. That and there is separate magical connections as well. Anya had magical capabilities, as do Willow and Tara, Giles and myself."

"So that means Dawn and I would be after you two, right?" Connor questioned as he squeezed Dawn's hand.

Giles shook his head. "No. Dawn is mystical, not magical. We believe that Angel and Cordelia would be next."

"Why?" Cordelia demanded as she folded her arms across her chest. "Neither of us has any magic in us."

"That's not true," Wesley stated. "Angel's soul _is_ magical. It was inflicted upon him by a curse, using magic. Plus, it would also be a working connection...the AI continuance."

Connor looked at Giles. "Then Dawn and I would come after Angel and Cordelia because of my connection to Angel?"

"Yes," Giles stated with a nod. "Which would then lead into Buffy and William because of Dawn. It's all connected."

"Now we just have to wait and see if we're correct," Wesley added as he closed his eyes and sighed.

* * *

Willow's sobs wracked her small frame as she leaned over Xander, screaming for him to come back to her. "You can't be dead," she wailed. "Open your eyes Xander. Open them now!"

Tara quickly moved beside her grief stricken lover and tried to comfort her as best she could. Willow's pain was almost unbearable. Finally, she was able to move Willow away from Xander and embrace her tightly, slowly rocking her. As she peered over Willow's shoulder at Xander's form, she noticed how it was getting lighter, fading away. She frowned and squeezed her eyes closed, opening them instantly. Nothing changed. "Xander's gone," she stated in an almost whisper.

"I know," Willow sobbed.

"No Willow. I mean he's _gone_."

Willow broke free of Tara's embrace and turned around. Xander's body had disappeared. Her eyes narrowed as confusion spread across her face. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know but Anya's gone too."

"Yeah, isn't that just a shame?" A male voice asked from the shadows.

The two girls looked around the circle but saw no one. Willow thought she recognized the voice but it couldn't be, could it? No. He was dead. Long dead. There was no way it was him.

"Oh it's me alright," he said stepping into the lighted circle, revealing his identity to the two witches. "Now we're gonna have some fun."

"Warren," Tara murmured.

"Yep. It's me. I'm back and badder than ever. Isn't that right, witch?" He asked with a wry smile, looking directly at Willow.

"No," Willow stated as she and Tara stood. "You're dead. Buffy saw you die."

He laughed loudly and madly as he eyes danced in the firelight. "You think such a little thing like death could keep me down? Come on. Look where we live, on top of the Hellmouth. Do you think anyone really stays dead here?"

"Well, no, but still...we watched them carry your body away!"

"Oh please and besides, that was just one of my deaths, wasn't it Willow?"

Her eyes widened in horror. "What?"

Chuckling, he began to walk the perimeter of the circle, his eyes never leaving them. "I'm one of the lucky ones. I got to die twice, only I didn't know about the first time. Not until after the second time that is. I have to admit though; the second death was probably more noble, more crushing and less flaying." He paused, giving Willow a wicked grin. "Makes perfect sense to me now why you told me that I couldn't kill her _again_ when I was trying to destroy you all back in the cave. At the time, I just thought you were out of your mind, protecting your lover but now I know, don't I? I know everything." He now stood about three feet from them and could smell Willow's anger. "Does your little girlfriend here know what you did? To me? To them?"

"Yes," Willow stated with authority, refusing to be cowed by his closeness to them. "I told them everything."

Tara nodded in agreement when Warren's eyes traveled to meet hers. "She did. Everything."

"I see. Well, then I guess I have no more business here, huh?" He asked with yet another wicked grin.

"No you don't," Willow replied, her voice gaining strength. "Be gone."

Warren howled with laughter at her words. "You're too easy," he said as he stepped closer to them. He watched as they instinctively took a step back; the response brought another grin to his lips. "Telling them how things went down is one thing, but seeing it is something else, isn't it?"

Willow frowned. She didn't understand what he was getting at and obviously he was hinting at something important. Tired of playing games, she took several steps towards him while ignoring Tara's frantic tugging at her sleeve. "Just what are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say, _witch_, is that the little woman here is about to get an eyeful. Only right, don't ya think; that she should know who you really are, what you're really capable of?" He stopped, smiled and turned to Tara. "You'd like to see that wouldn't you sweetheart?"

"You leave her out of this," Willow growled, her hands clenching into fists.

"Oh come on witch, let me have my say. You can't hurt me, you know. Not yet anyway."

Tara came up beside Willow and intertwined her fingers with the red head. "Your words mean nothing, you know. They are just words."

"I know. That's why I'm going to show you. It's much better that way, more detail, gore, theatrics, and the whole deal. It'll be fun." He laughed and moved closer still to the girls. "I promise."

* * *

Warren grabbed Tara and pulled her into the middle of the circle with him, a knife to her throat. "Stay back, witch!" He yelled at her as he pressed the knife deeper into Tara's skin, enough to draw a small trickle of blood. "And no magic." He watched as Willow complied, slowly taking a step back. This was going to be so much fun. Two trees appeared, one on either side of him. He let Tara go and took a step behind her. "You see, it went down like this...after I accidentally killed you, little Miss All Black and Veiny pursued me through woods like an animal hunting its prey. I threw as much magic at her as I could but it didn't even slow her down. Then, when she finally caught up with me, she tied me to the trees like so..." Tara's arms shot out as ropes appeared, trying her to the trees.

"Stop it!" Willow demanded, her memories flooding back like Niagara Falls.

"But I'm just getting to the good part. Be a good little witch and shut up."

Suddenly Willow's mouth was sewn shut, as she had done to him all those months before the wish.

"There. Much better," he stated with a grin.

Tara gasped in horror and tried several different spells to undo what had been done, but nothing worked. Willow couldn't speak.

"She'll be fine; besides, your magic doesn't work here. Just watch and listen, sweetheart." He laughed. "Getting back to what I was saying...after she tortured me with the image of my dead ex-girlfriend..."

Willow tried to speak but all that came out were muffled sounds. She wanted to scream to the world what she knew, but she couldn't.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I killed her too. Do we need to get technical here? I think not. Where was I? Oh yeah, after Katrina. She brought out a bullet and bore it into my chest. I'd show you how but it would just be too messy. Suffice it to say, it was a pretty painful experience."

"Why are you doing this?" Tara asked, tears streaming down her face. "We know what happened." She kept testing the ropes, hoping that they would give way and she could get away from him.

"Because I can. Because I want you to know everything your girlfriend is capable of and I want you to feel what I felt. Well, except for the bullet thing. I'll spare you that part."

Willow was crying harder. If her mouth hadn't been sewn shut, she would have been screaming. She tried to rush at him but found she couldn't even move, frozen to the ground.

Strolling over to her, he whispered in her ear. "Did you think I was going to make this easy on you?" He laughed as he saw her eyes widen. Placing an arm around her, even as she tried to shrug it off, he continued with his diatribe. "I begged her. Tried to plead to her humanity to spare me, but there was nothing left of her except hatred and anger."

"Is this true Willow?" Tara asked quietly, her eyes searching her lover's for the answer she was afraid she already knew.

Willow looked down at her feet and nodded.

Tara looked away, the same feeling of disgust that surfaced when Willow had told her about the wish originally, returned. Willow _had_ killed in cold blood. There was no denying it now.

A smirk crept across his lips as he watched their interaction. Success. These two would not be working together. Such a shame, he had been hoping for a good fight. Oh well. "Okay, let's continue cause we're running on a time schedule," he said tapping his wristwatch several times. "Do you know what she did next Tara? Take a wild guess what she did after she burrowed the bullet into my chest and sewed my mouth shut so I couldn't scream. Can you guess what she did then?"

"She killed you?"

"No. Good guess though. Next she undid my mouth so I could scream out, mostly in pain and terror but also so she could hear my last scream as she flayed me. That's when she killed me. Do you know what flaying is like, baby?"

Tara shook her head and her eyes widened in horror as she realized what he was going to do next. "Please. No."

"Yeah, that's it. Beg for me, sweetheart. Like I did. Beg." He felt Willow writhe in his grasp, trying desperately to free herself so she could stop him. Finally, he let her go and walked over to Tara. "You know what?" He asked as his eyes shone in the torch light. "I'm getting kinda..." he paused, looked over at Willow and grinned his most wicked grin. "Bored." As he swept his hand upwards, Tara's skin was ripped from her body, just as it had been done to him.

"No!" Willow cried out in anguish as her mouth unsealed. "You son of a bitch!" She yelled at him, racing towards him with as much speed as her legs would give her. Flying at him, she tackled him to the ground and tried choking him. She stopped only after she heard him laughing at her.

He kicked her off him, sending her flying to the ground a few feet away as he stood up. "Did you really think she was going to forgive you for what you did? Did you really believe she was going to be able to get past what I was showing her? Come on Willow, how stupid could you possibly be? For a really bright girl, you're really lacking in the common sense department, aren't ya?"

She seethed as she listened to him; the rage coursing through her, turning her eyes black.

"That's it. That's my girl. Come on. Give it to me! You know you want to!"

Standing up, she murmured a few words and held out her hand, palm facing him. As her tone increased, the wind picked up and blue electricity crackled around her. She shouted and a blue ball of flame flew at him, engulfing him.

He laughed as the blue energy licked at his body, making it tingle with all kinds of pleasure as he absorbed it. When the crackling subsided, he stood perfectly still, a smile playing across his face. "Now that's what we like to see. A few more of those and you'll never be able to stop me."

She stepped back as her eyes returned to normal, her breath coming in short gasps. A small voice began playing inside her head. It sounded like Tara. "Remember what you promised," it said. "Remember." Looking at Warren, she realized what he was doing. He was trying to bait her, get her to use her blackest magicks, make her lose control again and he was succeeding. No. She was better than this, right? The Coven had thought so. They had seen something in her, right? Tara had as well. Tara. Poor, sweet Tara. The anger began building in her again as her dark side screamed, begging to be let out, but she held it in check. "I...am...not...going...to...do...this!"

"You have no choice, you know. It's either kill or be killed, baby. So what's it gonna be?"

"Incendium!"

Suddenly, he burst into flame but then the fire quickly subsided, leaving behind charred skin in its place. "This is far from over. I'm not done with you yet. The only thing that will work, is for you to go all bad ass again, otherwise, you can't hurt me."

"You're looking a little crispy to me," Willow stated as she tried to keep her eyes off Tara's flayed body.

"Looks are always deceiving. Didn't you learn that by now?" He shook off his burned skin to reveal new, pinker skin beneath. He opened his arms and threw his head back. "Do your worst," he demanded.

"I already told you, I'm not doing this."

He threw his arms down to his sides and sighed. "Fine then. Be that way." Shrugging, he drew a gun from behind him and pointed it at her, pulling the trigger twice.

Stunned, she looked down at her chest. Two perfect little holes began to ooze blood. She fell to the ground as the numbness began to take hold of her body. "Giles," she whispered as the dark and cold enveloped her, her body becoming still and lifeless.  



	33. House of Cards

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Fred, Gunn and Lorne wake to discover that everyone is missing while Giles and Wesley face their darkest hour...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Pain Times Two"_

  
- 33 -  
House of Cards

Fred curled into a tighter ball against Gunn as she dozed in the sunlight streaming through the windows. Subconsciously, she knew that she wasn't home in her bed. Her bed was nice and soft and comfy, this bed was hard and kinda cold. She felt Gunn's strong arm pull her closer as she began to settle back down into that deep, blissful state of sleep. Her mind began to wander as she drifted, going over theorems and quantitative studies as well as the puzzle of the prophecy that brought them here to...Sunnydale! She sat bolt upright. Something felt wrong. Her eyes scanned the living room. Other than her, Gunn and Lorne, no one was there. How could this be? Surely she would have heard twelve people get up and about.

"Charles," Fred whispered, shaking him out of his dream state. "Charles, wake up. Something's very wrong here."

"Fred," Gunn mumbled as he tried to pull her back down to the floor. "Go back to sleep. I'm sure if English needs us, he'll wake us up."

She paused for a moment and listened to the house. It was quiet, almost too quiet. "No Charles, I don't think he will. I think he's missing. I think the whole house is missing!"

Gunn opened one eye and looked up at her. "What? How can a whole house disappear? I still see a ceiling. Go back to sleep."

"No, silly. Not the house. The people in the house!"

"What?" He asked in an irritated tone as he sat up. He hated when she messed with his sleep. Sleep was essential to his well being.

"Look around us, Charles. Do you see anyone else but us and Lorne?"

He did as she said and swept the room with his eyes, noticing only Lorne sleeping happily in the corner. Blankets and pillows were left strewn across the floor, evidence that there had been others there with them. But where were they now and why hadn't he heard them get up? As packed into the living room as they all were, he was positive that at least one person would have stepped on him while trying to get to the bathroom. He stood up, surveying the room more closely now. Walking over to the pullout couch, he pulled the sheets back.

"Okay, this is really strange," he stated as he stood there looking under the sheet.

"What? Did you find something?" She asked as she ran to see what he was looking at.

"Well wherever they went, they went naked."

Fred stared at Xander and Anya's clothing, lying neatly under the covers. She frowned as she met Gunn's look of concern. Quickly moving to where the others had been sleeping, she pulled the blankets up one by one. The same thing greeted her in each spot, neatly pressed clothing, as if they had just disappeared right out from under them. "I'm worried now," she said shaking. "This can't be good."

"Hey, can you two kids pipe down over there? I'm trying to sleep."

"Lorne!" Fred cried. "Get up. We have to find the others!"

"What? What others?"

"Everyone," Gunn replied, folding his arms across his chest.

Lorne sat up and looked from one to the other. "How can everyone be missing?"

"They just are!" Fred declared. "All they left behind is their clothing. I'm pretty certain that Anya wouldn't leave the house without her clothing. I mean, she's pretty free about certain things but somehow I don't think she's an exhibitionist. At least she didn't seem that way to me. Well, maybe. Still, something had to have taken them!"

"Calm down, precious. I'm sure everyone just went out for breakfast or something..."

"Naked?" Gunn asked glaring.

"Well no, but that doesn't mean they're gone. Maybe they played strip truth or dare. I played it this one time in San Pedro with a couple of lovelies, what a time that was..."

"Lorne, I don't think this is the time to reminisce about the good old days. We need to find these people and soon."

"Alright, Mr. Clean. Have you searched the rest of the house yet?"

"No," Fred responded as she let the blankets drop to the floor. "We haven't gotten out of the living room yet."

"Okay. So there's still a possibility that there are people here, correct?"

Both Gunn and Fred nodded in response.

"You two take the upstairs and search the rooms up there. I think the witches, along with that other British guy and 'Little Miss Green Glow Ball' were up there. I'll check the other rooms down here and then I'll check the basement. Kapish?"

"Okay Lorne," Fred stated shakily. "I hope we're wrong and we find some more people."

* * *

While Fred and Gunn slowly crept up the steps, Lorne stood up and stretched. Sleeping on the floor had not done a thing for his back. Some days he thought he should hit Angel-cakes up for hazard pay and this was one of them. Sleeping on floors was not in his job description. Then again, did he even have a job description? Probably not, he decided.

"So much for the slumber party," he said to the room as he moved into the hallway on his way to the kitchen. It did seem kind of eerie that there weren't any signs of life except for them.

Nothing looked out of place in the kitchen. Not that he could see. There were the normal dishes in the sink and a half empty mug of hot chocolate sitting on the island. It looked like a normal, everyday type kitchen to him.

As he moved towards the dining room door he heard Fred and Gunn coming back down the steps. "Did you find anything?" He asked them as they entered the kitchen through the dining room.

"Nada," Gunn replied. "Everyone's gone, including the big guy."

"Yeah. We found his clothing upstairs on the floor in Dawn's room. Looks like him and Cordelia were sleeping there, watching over Connor and Dawn."

"Well, nothing's amiss down here. It's all pretty ordinary."

Fred shook her head as she looked around the kitchen, searching for anything that might tell them what had happened.

"Hey," Gunn stated as a thought popped into his mind. "Have you checked downstairs yet? I remember Buffy saying something about her and Spike sleeping in the basement."

"No. I didn't get a chance to get down there yet. Look around for weapons. I'm not going into any basement without weapons."

"Why?" Fred asked as she gave Lorne a wide-eyed expression. "Do you think that whatever took them is holding them down there against their will and might attack us if we try to rescue them?"

"No, I just hate basements. They're all dark and musty and just down right dirty. Makes my skin crawl."

Gunn rolled his eyes at Lorne's reply.

"Hey, don't be rolling your eyes at me. No respectable demon would be found dead in a basement! It's just not natural!"

"Then why did you volunteer to look down there?" Fred asked with a frown.

"Cause I didn't think I'd actually have to go down there."

"Whatever!" Gunn responded as he slowly opened the basement door. "Hello," he called down the steps into the semi-darkness. "Anyone there?"

Silence answered him.

"We should go down," Fred stated as she stepped forward.

"Maybe Gunn should try yelling again. You never know, it might work."

"You know for a demon you sure are a big scaredy cat."

"Meow."

"Alright, fine. I'll yell down again." He paused and took a deep breath. "Buffy! Spike! You guys down there?"

The three of them listened intently from the top of the stairs. The only thing that answered back was the quiet.

Fred sighed and hugged herself. "This isn't good you two. It's just the three of us..."

Just then the sound of a doorknob jiggling caught their attention.

* * *

A head of sandy brown, tousled curls poked out from the room as the door slowly opened. "What's a bloke got to do to get some sleep around here?" William demanded from the bottom of the stairs as he caught sight of Gunn, Lorne and Fred peering down at him from the kitchen. "I need my sleep if I'm gonna stop the world from ending, don't you people know that?"

"William!" Fred yelled, flying down the steps and hugging him tightly as if they had been long lost siblings separated at birth. "It's so good to see you!"

"Uh, what's with the bird, mate?" He asked as he was almost knocked to his feet with the force of her impact.

"Is Buffy with you?" Lorne questioned, a look of seriousness crossing his face.

William frowned. "Yeah. She's sleeping or at least she was sleeping before all the commotion." He tilted his head to the side, still frowning and trying to extricate himself from Fred's grip. "Why do you want to know that?"

"Everyone's missing," Gunn replied.

William's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean everyone's missing?"

Fred disentangled herself from William to answer his question. "They're just gone. Everyone. All but the five of us. Only thing left is their clothing."

He watched as Fred began to wring her hands together. This definitely couldn't be good. "Are you serious?" He asked, eyes widening as a look of concern began to spread across his face. 

"As a heart attack," Lorne replied.

William turned to go back into the room to wake Buffy, but to his surprise she was already standing at the door, dressed. "So you heard then?"

"Yeah, everything." She folded her arms across her chest, letting the slayer in her take control. "Dawn?"

Fred lowered her eyes to the floor, continuing to wring her hands as she answered Buffy's question. "Gone."

Buffy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. This is what we're going to do..."

Before she could finish her sentence there was a loud pounding on the front door.

* * *

Buffy and William looked at one another and then raced up the steps, first to the living room to grab some weapons and then to the front door. The pounding was incessant. Who ever it was at the door wanted inside in the worst way. Cautiously Buffy peered out the side window and crinkled her nose. "Uh, there's two guys at the front door. I don't know them but the one looks like a Watcher."

William frowned and peeked around Buffy's shoulder. "Bloody hell!" He screamed as relief passed over his face. He threw open the door and grabbed the one into a bear hug, crushing the man against him. "It's so good to see you mates!" By this point he had already started hugging the Watcher looking fellow while Buffy stood by, glaring at the scene. "What brings you blokes half way round the world?"

"You of course, you stupid git," the one that William hugged first answered. "Hard to have a pint and watch the telly, cheering for Man U when you're not about."

"I take it you guys know each other?" Buffy asked as she folded her arms across her chest, clearly looking agitated by the lack of introductions.

After patting each other on the backs and a couple more rounds of manly hugs, William finally took notice of Buffy's posture and her annoyed glare. "Sorry Slayer," he stated, slipping back into his less refined British accent. "These guys are mates of mine from the Watchers Academy."

"Well that does explain a few things," she muttered under her breath, only Lorne catching exactly what she said and smiling in reply.

"What's that Luv?" He asked with a frown, thinking he had missed something important.

"Nothing," she said, smiling sweetly to him. "Are you going to introduce us or not?"

Before William could begin introductions, the more outgoing of the two visitors strode forward and took her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips. "You must be the infamous Buffy Summers. We've heard so much about you from our William."

Buffy blushed as he kissed her hand and gave her a warm smile.

"Ever the charmer, aren't you?" William teased as he walked over to Buffy and put his arm around her. "Buffy, this here charming bloke is Geoffrey Ashcroft. Best watch out for him, Luv, he fancies himself a real Don Juan."

"Stop. I bloody well do not," Geoffrey retorted as he gave Buffy another warm smile and a wink.

"And the quieter, well dressed Watcher type over there is Garrick Lewisham-Smythe."

"Pleased to finally meet you Ms. Summers," Garrick replied as he shook Buffy's hand.

William introduced the others to Garrick and Geoffrey as they made their way into the living room to sit down.

"A Pylean? Here?" Garrick asked, fascinated with the green being before him. "We've only read about them. I didn't think any existed here in our dimension."

"You'd be amazed at what exists here, buddy," Lorne stated dryly.  


"Did you have a slumber party last night?" Geoffrey teased as they entered the cluttered room. He chose a spot on the coffee table across Buffy and William. Garrick followed his lead.

"Something like that," Lorne sighed.

"Okay," Buffy interrupted, "I hate to sound all un-hostessy but we've got bigger problems to worry about right now, like where our friends disappeared to."

"So it's started then?" Garrick asked as he shared an anxious look with Geoffrey.

"You know about this?" Buffy demanded, frowning at the two who were sitting across from her. "I should have known the Council would have their hands in this."

"You'll have to excuse her," William apologized as he glared at Buffy. "She's not too big on the Council as you well know. Luv, they were helping me and Giles translate the prophecy. They're trustworthy."

"If you say so." She wasn't convinced.

"Buffy, please do relax," Garrick stated in a comforting tone. "We know what went on before and I want to assure you, neither Geoffrey or myself totally buy into everything the Council does. Besides, it might help you to know that I'm Rupert's cousin and I'm well aware of his stance on things."

"Funny," she growled at him. "Giles never mentioned you before."

"No. I would guess he wouldn't. It's not something that we do outside of the Council. It's best not to for security reasons, you know. If the enemy knew of family, chances are it would attack them first."

"I suppose I see your point," Buffy stated begrudgingly. "But I still don't like it."

"Very well, I'll accept that," Garrick said with a smile. "Now, for the reason for our arrival..."

"Yeah, get to the point already," Gunn grumbled as he turned to Fred. "They're all like English, aren't they? That school must turn them out like robots."

"What's that then?" Geoffrey asked with a frown, looking to William for answers.

William shrugged and waved his hand, gesturing for it to be dropped. "Please continue, Gar. Have you found something else?"

"Quite. According to a missing piece of the prophecy, which Rupert wasn't aware of before he passed through the portal to here, there is a spell in the Book of Rentar that will invoke the powers of the Twelve so that the Slayer and the Souled can defeat the Master before he brings Hell on earth."

"So where is this Book of Rentar?" Fred asked quickly, her eyes becoming wide with hope.

"We were hoping you could tell us that," Geoffrey replied. "The book was supposed to be at headquarters, but it's missing, along with Rupert's notes and some other books. We just assumed that he had brought it all with him."

Buffy jumped up. "Everything Giles brought back with him is in the dining room. I bet that's where the book is!"

"Great! Then let's get at it," Geoffrey said as he stood up to follow Buffy into the dining room. "No time to spare. Sunset is in six hours."

* * *

Giles and Wesley arrived at the circle of torches following a brilliant flash of light. The translocation had made them disoriented, leaving them lying on the ground semi-conscious. After a few minutes passed, Wesley slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position and tried to let his eyes adjust to the dim light. Giles was to his left, still lying on his backside and blinking rapidly, probably trying to get his bearings, Wes assumed. He also wondered if the translocation affected each person differently since he seemed a little more with it at the moment than Giles did. As his eyes finally adjusted, he noticed a flayed figured tied between two trees and then another lying in a heap on the ground not too far from the first.

"Dear god," he whispered, trying to stand up.

"What?" Giles demanded as he sat up, trying hard to fight the disorientation he was feeling.

Without saying a word, Wesley raised his arm and pointed towards the bodies.

Giles stood and then let his gaze fall in the direction Wesley was pointing. "No!" He screamed as he recognized the lifeless form on the ground.


	34. Thrice the Misery

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Giles and Wesley must deal with a couple of familiar faces from their past as their trial begins...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "House of Cards"  
**Warning:** Contains Character Deaths_

  
- 34 -  
Thrice the Misery

Giles ran towards Willow's lifeless body, his mind screaming out to him that it wasn't real; it had to be a trick. When he reached the location where she had fallen, he could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes while he dropped to his knees beside her. A quick visual sweep of her body told him exactly how she died, two bullet wounds to the chest...right through the heart. He had no idea just how appropriate it all was in the great scheme of things. Gently, he brushed her hair off her face. He had failed her. It was all his fault. As he took a deep breath to steady himself, he closed his eyes and let images and snippets of conversations that he'd had with the red headed witch pass through his mind.

"Giles," Wesley stated, placing a comforting hand on the older watcher's shoulder. 

"I failed her," Giles whispered as a lone tear slipped down his cheek.

"You did what any good parent could have done for their child. She asked for help and you found it for her. It was up to her to take it from there."

"But I was responsible for her, Wesley. I should have taken notice long before I did. I should have never left Sunnydale."

"No, Giles. You were not responsible for her. Your only responsibility was towards your slayer, the others you adopted along the way and they are now grown and responsible for their own actions."

"I should have done more."

Wesley sighed and tightened his grip on Giles' shoulder as he crouched down next to him. "Listen, you did what you could. You couldn't do more." He paused and looked towards the individual that was tied between the trees. "I hate to be the bearer of even worse news, but I think you need to see this as well."

Giles slowly looked up from Willow's lifeless form, dreading what else it was he might cast his eyes upon. That's when he saw her, or more like what was left of her, hanging there. "Oh my dear Lord." He closed his eyes again, shoulders slumping and tears coming harder. Willow couldn't have done this, could she? No. There was no way. Willow was much stronger than that. He had to believe that. Something else had to have been here...something else entirely...something evil.

"Please," he begged Wesley without looking up again. "Cut Tara down from the tree." His heart ached, almost as badly as the day that Buffy had jumped from the tower. He felt like such a total failure, as a man and a father.

Wesley stood to make his way to the flayed young woman that he'd never gotten to know. As he took his first step, he noticed that everything but the torches started to fade from sight. "Giles..." He looked towards Willow in time to see her body fade as well. "What on earth...?"

* * *

Giles sensed more than saw Willow's body disappear. He had been too busy sitting on the ground with his face buried in his hands to notice much of anything, until he had heard Wesley gasp. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that he and Wesley were now alone in the circle of torches. Standing slowly, he listened intently as his eyes scanned their surroundings. Something was coming. He could feel it.

"Right you are, Ripper," a familiar voice called to him from outside the circle.

"Ethan," Giles growled as he turned towards the direction of the voice. "Show yourself."

"In due time, my friend, in due time."

"I should have known you'd be involved in something like this. You always did worship the dark."

"Yes and so did you, once."

"That was a very long time ago, Ethan."

"Yes, yes. I know. You're all prim and proper now, aren't you? Or so you'd have everyone believe."

"But I know better," another voice stated from behind the two watchers.

Giles spun around, knowing instinctively whom it was he would see. "Ben," he stated coolly.

"Mr. Giles," the brown haired, young man stated with a captivating smile. "How have you been? Having a nice life?"

Wesley watched the exchange closely. He was clueless as to why these men were taunting Giles. Obviously they were from his past, but why here and now? He noticed Giles stiffen and square his shoulders. It all felt...wrong.

"Quite," Giles answered.

"Must be nice," Ben responded, taking a step closer to them. He then turned towards Wesley. "Do you know what your Mr. Giles here did? Hmmm? While he's trying to prove to everyone how upstanding he is; he carries a dark little secret. Isn't that right, Rupert?"

Wesley took a step forward to address the seemingly young man before him and to let Giles know that he was behind him, no matter what was said. "We've all done things, things that we believed we had no other choice but to do at the time."

Ben regarded the former watcher carefully. "Yes, I suppose that's true, isn't it? But we'll get to you later." He turned his attention back to Giles, folding his arms across his chest and giving the older man another smile. "Tell me; is it nice to have a life? I really wouldn't know about that though, would I? You took mine from me." His smile was quickly replaced by an angry scowl.

"You know why I did it," Giles hissed at him. "You couldn't be allowed to live."

"You knew that for a fact?" He asked as he began to circle the two men, his eyes never leaving Giles. "Impressive. I only thought gods knew any of that stuff."

Giles continued to face him, his face showing no emotion. "Funny you should mention that, seeing as how you shared your body with a hell god."

Wesley's eyes widened in recognition; Ben had been the hell god, Glorificus! After they had come back from Pylea, Willow had been there, at the hotel, waiting to tell Angel what had happened to Buffy. However, she had left out the part of Giles killing Ben. That's when it hit him, no one knew what Giles had done; he had done it on his own and quietly, doing the one thing that none of the others could do. He supposed he would have done the same if he had been in Giles' position.

"I could have defeated her but you didn't give me the chance. You took my life away from me before I could prove that." His eyes shone in the firelight as rage covered his face.

"Yes I did, and I'd do it again," Giles stated calmly, coolly.

"Would you? You'd take another innocent life? Cause I was an innocent, you know. I never asked to be the other half of her, but that didn't seem to matter to you."

The anger boiled up from within him as he took a threatening step towards the man he had killed, eyes blazing. "You were far from being innocent. When it came down to saving yourself or saving the world, you chose yourself. Millions would have died and you didn't care, as long as you saved your own skin. So don't stand there and tell me that I took an innocent life."

Ben growled as he charged at Giles, knocking the man off his feet as he hit him square in the chest.

* * *

Giles hadn't been expecting an attack and wasn't prepared for Ben's charge. As the two of them fell to the ground, he felt Ben's hands wrap around his neck, squeezing the life from him. He tried to punch the man, but found that every time he made a move to defend himself, Ben had anticipated it and blocked it effortlessly.

As soon as Wesley realized that Giles was in no position to defend himself, he ran to his aid. In one swift motion, he pulled Ben off Giles, twisting the neck of the thing parading as the former intern in the process.

Giles gulped fresh air as he heard the sound of bones crunching to his right. He had been so close to passing out, that the grayness had started to eat away at his vision. By the time his lungs had started working properly again and his vision returned to normal, Ben's body lay in a heap at Wesley's feet.

Slowly Wesley walked over to Giles and helped him up off the ground. A look of understanding passed between the two. Both had done what they believed had been right and proper.

"Thank you," Giles stated as he placed a hand on Wes's shoulder.

A clapping sound was heard from what sounded like far off, but eventually, it got closer and closer. Ethan stepped into the circle, a grin showing from ear to ear. "Nicely done you two. I'd love to tell you that this was the end and that you've both passed, but really, you've only just begun."

"Giles, who is this?" Wesley asked, turning to watch the dark haired man with the British accent.

"Yes, please Ripper, do tell him who I am."

Giles glared at his former partner in the dark arts. "He's Ethan Rayne. An old acquaintance of mine."

"Come now, we were much closer than that. We were best mates at one time, weren't we?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Giles stated harshly.

"Oh, Ripper, I'm hurt. How could you be so cruel?" He paused and smiled at Wesley. "You see Mr. Pryce, Rupert was once involved in things much darker than killing an innocent who was unfortunate enough to share a body with his enemy. Rupert was quite the black sorcerer. He wielded power that only you and I could possibly imagine or hope to grasp. Isn't that right...Ripper?"

Wesley frowned. Why did this man keep calling Giles, Ripper? The implications of it made him shiver. He had seen the glint in Giles' eyes whenever he had become extremely angered or if Buffy had been threatened in anyway. There had been a few times that Giles' darker side had shown itself to him when he had been Buffy's watcher for those few short months. He wasn't ashamed to admit that it had scared him.

Giles sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ethan, do get on with whatever it is you're here to tell us, otherwise, bugger off."

"You really are no fun anymore, you know that?" His shoulders dropped, along with all pretenses as to why he was there. "I'm here to kill you. Not him of course," he stated, gesturing to Wes. "He'll have his own ghosts to fight shortly. You and me, Ripper, we're going to have some fun."

"I'm not going to fight you, Ethan. Not now, not ever."

"You don't have a choice. It's kill or be killed."

"I will not fight you," Giles reiterated.

"Oh, come on! Let's have some fun! Remember all the fun that we had when I came to town during Halloween? Or how about the time that Eyghon jumped into your precious girlfriend's body? That was a load of fun! I did especially enjoy tattooing your little charge. Wait, I suppose all the fun was mine, wasn't it?"

Giles glared at the man as the anger began to envelope him. It was taking all that he had to keep his darker side in check, but at the mention of Jenny Calendar and what Ethan had done to Buffy, he felt his resistance crumbling.

Ethan continued, goading Giles on. "Do you know what my favorite visit was? Not the chocolate bars, although I must say that was sheer genius on my part. My favorite was turning you into a demon."

Giles' body tensed, every part of him screaming to tear Ethan limb from limb. He never felt Wesley shaking his arm and yelling at him to stop as he began chanting in an ancient language, directing an energy force towards Ethan. Loosing the force on the man from his past, he watched as Ethan flew back on the ground. In an instant, he was on top of him, punching him, letting Ripper completely take over. He reveled in the feel of the power coursing through him. It felt...

"No!" Giles screamed, jumping up and away from Ethan. "I will not do this. I will not let you do this to me. I am not Ripper. Not anymore."

Ethan rolled his eyes as he pulled himself to his feet. "Such a pity," he stated matter of factly. "You really have changed."

"Yes, I..." his words trailed off and his eyes widened as Ethan's face changed. "Eyghon."

"Stupid fool," the demon hissed at him as his hand shot out and wrapped around Giles' neck. "I've been waiting a very long time for this, Ripper." Just as Ben had done before, Eyghon began to squeeze the life out of Giles, succeeding in mere seconds, as a shocked Wesley stood by, unable to help.

* * *

Wesley dropped to the sand as his knees buckled. He watched helplessly as the creature released Giles, letting the man sink slowly to the ground, murdered. There had been no time to help. No warning. One minute Ethan had been there and the next, a monster had taken his place. Everything had happened so quickly that all he could do was watch. Watching. He seemed to be good at that. When things mattered most, when the chips were down, it seemed that he could be counted on to, well, not be counted on at all. Suddenly he felt nauseous; turning to the side, he began retching. Everything he had seen, everything he had done in his life to this point, had not prepared him for something like this.

"Well, well, well," a female voice stated after Wesley had stopped gagging and sat up. "This is what's become of you, has it? First you betray your friend, Angel, by kidnapping his child and then you let your friend here die. You're not much of a man, are you Wesley?"

Without opening his eyes, Wes growled at the voice before him. "I did what I thought was right when it came to Connor and nothing you can say, or do, will change that, Justine."

"No?"

"No."

"I really beg to differ with you on that one, but I digress. I'm not here for a friendly visit with you, but I think you already know that, don't you?" She watched as Wesley nodded his answer. "Good. Let's get started, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," he stated as he looked up, his steel blue eyes boring through her.

"You're not a man of many words, are you?" She asked as she sat down on a large rock that appeared out of nowhere. When he didn't reply, she laughed and continued. "You do know that you're treading very close to the darkness, don't you?"

His eyes dropped to the ground. "Yes," he whispered. "I know."

"So why don't you just take that one last little step and come on over here with us? The water's fine." She stood up and walked over to him, giving him a seductive smile as she held out her hand to help him up. "Come on. Just take my hand. You know you want to."

"I will not." He stood on his own, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I will not be seduced by you or anyone."

She smiled and snorted. "I think you're already seduced enough by Wolfram and Hart, in more ways than one."

"You leave Lilah out of this," he snapped in reply. "She has nothing to do with my descent into hell. I've done that on my own."

"Yes and no. She's certainly helped you along. Yeah, what you did to Angel did cross the line but you truly believed you were doing the right thing. You're punishing yourself for it; everyone can see that, except maybe for him. Doesn't that upset you? Make you mad? I know it would send me over the edge."

"You have no idea what Angel thinks of me." He could feel the anger begin to well up in him.

"Did you think that by keeping an eye on Connor like you did, that he would just accept you back into the group with open arms? He hates you. They all hate you. That little show of shaking hands at the Slayer's house? Just show. There's nothing you'll ever do to change his mind. You're nothing."

"That's not true."

"It is. Your father was right when he said you'd never amount to anything. You failed as a watcher and you failed as a friend, many times over. You're a failure, Wesley."

He flew at her, grabbing her by her throat. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Rage covered his face. In an eerily calm voice, he stated, "Do you have any idea what I could do to you right now? I could snap your neck or call on the darkest powers to destroy you."

She smiled slyly at him, her eyes flickering black in the firelight. "You've been studying up on how to kill in just the right way? Good for you, Wesley. Just one more step."

He continued to glare at her as his grip on her throat tightened. It was so tempting to just do it, to just crush her windpipe like that creature had done to Giles. As much as he held himself responsible for not believing in Angel, he held her and Holtz just as responsible. The darker side of him wanted to kill her, to do what he should have done earlier but failed because he was taken in by the false prophecy. He felt the darkness taking control, the lust to kill becoming greater as each moment passed.

"Come on Wesley," she cooed at him. "One more step." She reached up and caressed his face with her hand, willing him to just do what needed to be done so that his soul would be lost forever.

Suddenly, something in his mind snapped and he began to swim back into reality, back to the light within him. He dropped her to the ground and stumbled backwards, staring at his hands, as if they were covered in blood. Slowly he shifted his attention from his hands to her face. "I will not kill you. Do you hear me? I will not do it."

She shook her head and laughed at him. "That's a shame Wes," she said as she stood up and brushed her pants off. "For a minute there, I really thought you had it in you. Now I have to do what I failed to do the first time."

"And that is...?"

"Kill you." She was on top of him before he had completed his question.

He could feel the cold steel of the knife at his throat and knew instantly what was about to happen. As he closed his eyes he felt the slow, deliberate slicing begin and the warmth of his blood flowing down his neck.

"Sorry, Wes," she said as she began to walk out of the circle. "It had to be done."

He didn't move, not that he could have even if he had wanted to. He had failed Giles and now he had failed the group. God help them all. "Angel..." he whispered as he felt his life ebb away.  



	35. Quadrangle of Suffering

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
** Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Angel and Cordelia get an unexpected visitor before their trial begins...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Thrice the Misery"  
**Warning:** Contains Character Deaths_

  
- 35 -  
Quadrangle of Suffering

Cordelia and Angel arrived in the circle much the same way as the others had, in a flash of white light and a clap of thunder. Unlike the humans, they were fairly unaffected by the translocation, and suffered very little disorientation. Angel wrapped his arms around Cordelia to support her as she let her eyes grow accustomed to the darkness and firelight. He, being a vampire, didn't have to wait for his eyes to adjust. At least that was a plus in his column. He could feel Cordelia trembling in his arms and could smell her fear, so he tried to comfort her as best he could. While he waited for her to settle down, he scanned their new surroundings, and that's when he saw the bodies...two of them, lying motionless on the ground. The stench of death and the coppery scent of blood reached his nostrils.

She felt his body stiffen against hers and heard him take an unneeded breath. That's how she knew something was wrong. "Angel?" She asked, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

Slowly, he looked down at her. His face betrayed the anguish at what he had seen. "Have your eyes adjusted to the dark well enough yet?"

"Well enough for what?" She questioned as she tilted her head and frowned.

"To walk."

"Yeah, I guess so. Why? What's wrong?"

He continued to look down into her face. How was he going to prepare her for the horror of what he was sure they were about to see? How was he going to tell her that their friends were dead? "Cordy," he started as he tightened his arm around her waist. "I want you to slowly look around and tell me what you see."

"Angel, you're scaring me," she stated, her eyes wide.

"Just...Just look around, okay?"

She squinted her eyes as she continued to frown at him. The flickering torches cast bouncing shadows across the circle so it was difficult for her to make out anything at first. Then she saw Giles, in a heap on the ground. "Giles!" She screamed as she wrenched free from Angel's grasp and ran towards him.

Angel followed her towards Giles' body and watched as she slowly knelt down next to the stilled form. He already knew the answer to what she was trying to find out. The man that had been their leader, their rock for so many years, was dead.

"Oh my god, Giles." She looked up at Angel, tears in her eyes. "Is he...?"

Angel simply nodded and turned his head away, not wanting to see the pained expression on her face. He had promised himself that as long as he and Cordelia were together, he would never cause her pain nor allow anyone or anything else to either. It probably had been a foolish thing to vow, especially in their line of work, but he always thought he'd be able to stick by it, give her a normal relationship. He'd been wrong, so very wrong, on so many levels in the past few days.

Quietly she cried as she placed Giles' hands across his chest and stroked his face. Of all the things she had missed when she had left Sunnydale, she had missed Giles the most. He had always been the strong one, the in control one. She admired that in him. Now she regretted the fact that she had never told him how lucky she had felt to have him shape her teenage years. Had it not been for Giles taking a fatherly role in her life, though his advice was rarely listened to, she would never have known what existed in the world she lived in, and would have ignored the things going on around her. Had she done that, she would never have been "fighting the good fight" with Angel and the AI gang. She would never have found her place in life. As she stroked his face one last time, she remembered that Wesley had been paired with Giles. "Wesley?" She asked at first in a whisper while looking around wildly. "Wesley?"

"Cordy..." Angel stated as he placed a hand on her shoulder, but was interrupted by the sound of a groan coming from Wesley's direction.

"Wesley!" She yelled as she jumped up and ran towards him, hoping that she and Angel weren't too late to save him. When she reached Wesley's side, her eyes widened as she dropped to her knees beside him, blood pouring from his neck.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. Such a simple thing, yet it was an incredibly difficult task. He tried to whisper her name but could only gag instead.

"Shhhhhh," she said comfortingly, taking his hand in hers and trying to stop the blood flowing from his throat. "It's all going to be okay. We'll get you out of here."

He mouthed the word 'no' as he closed his eyes again, the cold spreading across his torso and limbs. Feeling her hand wrap around his, he squeezed as he heard her tell him that she was sorry about everything. Then he heard another voice, Angel's voice, coming from far away, sounding hollow and tinny. He couldn't quite make out what was being said since the cold and quiet was taking over. He felt as if he were floating.

* * *

"Wesley? Wesley can you hear me?" Angel demanded as he leaned over the former watcher that had been one of his closest friends, but that had been before...the kidnapping and lies.

He wasn't sure how he had missed the sound of Wes's heartbeat when they arrived. Perhaps because it had been so weak and barely audible, but now that he was closer, he knew for sure that the man's heart was no longer beating. He rocked back on his heels and buried his face in his hands. To his left, he heard Cordelia's sobs as she began to comprehend what had just happened. They sounded desperate and pained. He would have reached out to her to share in her suffering, but he was too wrapped up in his own grief at the moment to really care about anyone but himself. There were things he should have said to Wes, like telling him that he probably would have done the same thing in his place if he had been the one translating the false prophecy. Instead, he had been needlessly stubborn.

Cordelia gently caressed Wes's face while she tried, unsuccessfully, to choke back the sobs. The pain she felt inside was more than she could bear so she lashed out at the one thing that was closest and most available...Angel. Without thinking, reacting on raw emotions, she pushed the crouching vampire off his feet and onto his back. Before she knew it, she was on top of him, beating him with her fists and sobbing uncontrollably. 

* * *

Suddenly, and without warning, Angel found himself flat on his back. His guilt plagued thoughts forgotten as Cordelia swept down on him, fear and anger covering her face, tears running freely. "What the...?"

"Your fault!" She yelled at him as she pounded on his chest. Her thoughts were barely coherent and her voice hoarse in her throat.

Angel lay on the ground, hardly flinching as Cordelia took out her grief on him, but it was her words that shocked and hurt him. "Cordy, how is this my fault?" He demanded, grabbing her wrists to still her flailing arms.

"You let him die!"

"There was nothing I could have done!"

"You could have saved him!"

"Cordy, you're not making any sense..."

"You could have at least told him you were sorry, that maybe you forgave him. You let him die thinking that you hated him." Everything came out in a rush, running together. Her breathing was fast and irregular. "You could have saved him," she cried one last time as she fell, exhausted, onto his chest.

He pulled her closer, letting her sobs continue to wrack her body. He wanted to tell her that he already felt guilty, probably guilty enough for both of them but before he could speak any words of comfort, he became immediately aware of a presence behind them.

* * *

"Well now, what's this all about?" A voice thick with an Irish accent asked. "I've never seen such a sorrier sight before in me life."

Cordelia snapped her head up as she recognized the voice. "Doyle?" Her tear-filled eyes widened at the sight of their former co-worker and friend. "Is that really you?"

The dark haired man smiled brightly at her. "Were you expecting someone else?"

She scrambled off Angel and threw herself into Doyle's arms. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"I can take a guess or two."

Angel stood up and absently brushed himself off. With a careful eye, he studied the scene before him. Something felt off; wrong. "Cordelia, maybe you should step away from him."

"Are you delusional?" She demanded with a glare.

"It's just...we don't know if it's really him." He gave her a pleading look, hoping that it would help her to understand what he was saying. This was supposed to be the time of their trial, so why would a friendly face just appear out of nowhere?

She shot him another glare and then turned her attention back to Doyle. He felt real, and he definitely smelled like Doyle used to; it had to be him. Giving him a brilliant smile, she apologized for Angel's behavior. "You'll have to excuse our friend, he's a bit cranky. End of the world stuff. You know how he can get..."

Doyle laughed as he hugged Cordelia tighter to him. "I know what you mean, darling."

Suddenly, her demeanor changed from happy to see him to extremely angry. She stepped away from him and put her one hand on her hip while using the other to point a finger at him. "Hey mister!" She growled, waving the finger in front of his face. "I never got to yell at you for sacrificing your life! Trying to be all heroic. I should have killed you myself! Oh, and while I'm at it...I'm pretty pissed off about you giving me those damn visions too. Not that I don't appreciate what you did and all, but you could have at least warned me!"

Her face was now mere inches from his and it took all the restraint he could muster to keep from leaning into her and kissing her. He closed his eyes and conjured up the memory of her lips and how they had felt when he kissed her goodbye that day. Petal softness. The sound of Angel clearing his throat brought him back from that memory with a jolt. He had to stick with the plan. Kissing Cordelia, as much as he would love to, was not what the Powers had sent him here to do.

"Wanna tell us why you're here?" Angel asked, his face serious as he took a couple of strides towards his girlfriend and the once dead half demon. "I'm sure you're not here to flirt with Cordy."

"Angel!" Cordelia yelled. "Stop it. This isn't how we treat old friends, especially ones that are all glowly and...Oh my god!"

"Sorry," Doyle stated as he began glowing in an otherworldly light. "Don't mean to frighten you...It's just they're trying to hurry me along."

"Who's trying to hurry you along?" Cordelia asked, suspecting that she already knew the answer.

"The Powers. They're a mite bit cranky with me at the moment."

Angel stood next to Cordelia and placed his arm around her, an action that he knew wouldn't go unnoticed by Doyle.

She felt Angel's arm encircle her waist as she tilted her head and frowned. "Why?"

"Well for starters, I was just supposed to deliver a message, not get to chatting and all. Places to be, people to serve." Pausing for a moment, he took notice of Angel and Cordelia's closeness. The Powers had told him of their love but even with being prepared, seeing it for himself was a shock, not to mention disheartening. He took a breath and continued. "You think it would have all ended with my death, but no. I had to be all noble; so the Powers rewarded me by making me a messenger in the afterlife. No rest for the weary."

Cordelia was entranced by his bright glow. "You look just like me when I do that..."

"I know," he stated with a small, sad smile. "You're a part of me."

"I am? How?"

"Well, how do you think you can handle all those visions now without much pain?"

"They made me part demon, so I could keep them..."

"Yeah. I guess Skip didn't tell you who gave them that idea now did he?"

"You?"

"You can thank me later. Right now I have a few things to tell you."

"Yeah, you said that before," Angel deadpanned.

"Oh stop getting your panties in a twist, oh broody one. I'm not here to take your girlfriend away from you. Relax."

As Angel began his retort, all of his senses went into overload. He spun around just in time to see a figure coming at them.

* * *

Before Angel could reach her, the figure had buried an axe into her back. She felt the cold steel hit bone; the pain was sharp and blinding. Slowly, she sunk to the ground, her mouth trying to form words while a look of surprise covered her face. "Angel?" She managed to ask in a hushed whisper before she fell onto her face.

Doyle was at her side in a flash. The Powers seemed to have left out this little detail when they sent him forth with his instructions. Now he knew what she must have felt when she watched him die.

"Now you know what it's like to lose someone you love. For good," the figure growled to Angel, anger coating every word.

Doyle checked for a pulse but knew that she must be gone since he couldn't feel her presence any longer. Slowly, he looked up and met Angel's pleading gaze. Shaking his head, he watched as an expression of pain and horror covered the souled vampire's face. Quickly he stood and made his way over to Angel, knowing what was going to happen if he didn't get there fast enough.

"Holtz," Angel screamed, trying to break free from Doyle's grasp as he morphed into game face. "You son of a bitch!"

Holtz laughed at him. "Did you think that death would keep me from avenging my family?"

"Doyle, let go of me," Angel demanded, glaring at his old friend and trying desperately to shake free.

"No," he stated in a steady tone. "Not before I tell you why I'm here."

"Angelus," Holtz yelled, apparently unaware of the Messenger. "Are you listening to me?"

Angel looked at the vampire hunter and then back to his friend, confusion beginning to tug at the edges of his mind.

Doyle leveled his gaze at Angel, his manner and tone turning serious. "You must remember, not everything is as it seems. You have to continue to fight the good fight, do you understand me?"

"Doyle if you don't let go of me now..."

"Angelus? Have you lost your mind?" Holtz asked as he took several steps closer to the vampire.

"What? You'll _kill_ me?" Doyle laughed. "Come on now, I'm already dead. Can't kill the dead. But the dead _can_ kill you. Fight the good fight, Angel."

Angel felt the piercing stare of Doyle's eyes but he was so caught up in his rage towards Holtz that he didn't grasp the full meaning of the message. "Let go of me," he demanded, each word punctuated precisely as his yellow eyes darted wildly towards Holtz.

"Fine, man. But don't ever say I didn't tell you so. Go on. Go kill him. I'm not standing in your way," he stated as he dropped Angel's arm.

Holtz laughed heartily as he watched the exchange between Angel and the air. "My killing your girlfriend has thrown you over the edge, hasn't it?"

"I'm going to kill you for what you've done," Angel spat back at him.

"Alright," Doyle sighed. "I'm out of here. I'm not gonna stick around to watch you destroy yourself. I've delivered my message, do with it what you will." He solemnly looked at Angel and then went over to Cordelia's body. After carefully taking the axe out of her back, he picked her up and the two of them disappeared.

* * *

Both Holtz and Angel stared at the space where Cordelia once laid, stunned that her body seemed to have vanished into the nether realms. As if the world was now moving in slow motion, Angel turned his eyes upon Holtz, a growl emanating deep from within. His anger no longer boiled under the surface but erupted in a blazing inferno, bringing the beast to the fore. "You want to deal with Angelus? I'm going to give you Angelus," he growled to Holtz. "You're going to be the sorriest son of a bitch that ever lived."

"What could you possibly do to me that you haven't already done, Angelus? You've already killed my wife, my children. There's nothing left."

Angel's blood coursed through his veins, unrelenting, screaming for him to kill the man before him. "There's you. After what you did to Cordelia and Connor did you just think...?"

"Ah, yes. How is my son?"

"He's not _your_ son, Holtz. He's mine," he roared in anger as he balled his hands into fists and struck his thighs with them.

"He'll never be yours," Holtz stated simply, with a sly smile on his face.

In an instant Angel was in front of the former vampire hunter, a hand on each of the man's arms, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. "Don't be so sure of yourself," he spat at him. "You failed. He's _my_ son in every way possible now. Thanks to...to Wesley." His expression softened as the demon began to retreat when he thought of how Wes had revealed everything to Connor.

"That's not possible. Justine and I..."

"Justine and you messed up, obviously. I didn't go to the bottom of the ocean and my son believes in me."

"You lie."

"Angelus might do that...but I don't. And speaking of Angelus, he's just itching to come back out and play so just say something to provoke me." He struggled to keep the demon on the leash but was having a hard time doing so; it wanted blood.

"I killed your girlfriend and now I'm going to kill you. How's that? Does that work for you?"

Angel tilted his head to the side, as if he were having a conversation with his beast and listening what it had to say. "Yeah. I'd say that pretty much works," he snarled as he sank his fangs into side of Holtz's neck. But when he started to feed, a blinding flash of light appeared in his mind's eye and a voice rattled his brain. _Fight the good fight, Angel._

His slipped back into his human visage and released his grasp on Holtz. The man dropped to his knees stunned.

"Finish it, Angelus!" He roared. "Finish it now!"

"I won't," a stunned Angel stated as he shook his head, eyes wide with the realization of what he had started to do.

"You must. It's kill or be killed, Angelus. Which do you want it to be?" He asked from his knees.

"I will not kill you and I am Angel, not Angelus. I am not a monster."

Holtz rose to his feet. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a wooden stake. "I will kill you, you know."

"I will not kill you," Angel repeated.

"Fine then. I've been waiting to do this for centuries!" He yelled as he rushed towards Angel, burying the stake in his chest.

Angel looked down and then looked back up. This was it. "Connor," he managed to whisper to the wind before he fell to the ground, nothing more than a pile of dust.

_**In Memory of Glenn Quinn who brought to life the wonderful character of Doyle...**_  


  



	36. Inside & Out

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** Those left behind search for the Book of Rentar in order to stop the end of the world...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Quadrangle of Suffering"_

  
- 36 -  
Inside & Out

The Summers' dining room looked as if a hurricane had swept through it or a bomb had gone off. Papers and books that Wesley and Giles had stacked neatly on the table were now scattered about, covering every available surface space, including the chairs and floor. Buffy and William, along with what was left of the AI gang and the two new arrivals, turned the room upside down in search of the Book of Rentar. Currently, Buffy was on her knees under the table trying to sift through mounds of paper that covered several stray books that had been knocked to the floor in the frenzied hunt. While Buffy searched the floor, Fred continued to dump Giles' briefcase onto the already cluttered table.

"I don't think it's here," Lorne sighed as he shook one last book from his designated pile. "Are you Watchers usually this verbose?" He asked opening his arms wide to include the room full of papers.

William, Garrick and Geoffrey said nothing as they continued to go through boxes that had nothing to do with anything, just in case someone may have misplaced the book in one of them.

"Keep looking," Buffy demanded as she straightened up and smoothed out her shirt. "It _has_ to be here."

Fred looked up from the pile that came out of the briefcase, a look of disappointment showing on her face. "Well, it's not in here. Any luck?" She asked, turning to Gunn who was now sifting through a leaning tower of books in the corner.

"Nothing," he replied while shaking his head.

Buffy's face fell as large tears began to well in her eyes. "It _has_ to be here," she stated, fear edging into her voice. "It just has to be here."

"Luv, calm down," William soothed as he rushed to her side, wanting to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be as right as rain. "We'll find the book and then we'll find everyone, okay?" He watched as she averted her eyes, studying something vastly more interesting on the floor. Refusing to let her not look him in the eyes, he cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face up to his. "Okay?" He asked again, more firmly this time.

She sniffled and closed her eyes but still didn't answer him. A lone tear escaped from her closed lids and trickled slowly down her cheek. This is not how she wanted the others to see her. She was supposed to be the Slayer, strong and powerful, not some weepy little girl. Her only thoughts at the moment should be of Dawn and their friends. She shouldn't be worrying about what the others thought of her. Dawn and their friends occupied a large part of her mind, but tugging at the back, needling at her brain, were thoughts of stopping the Master, and those who had brought him back. He couldn't be allowed to take over the world, not on her watch. Just another apocalyptic day in Sunnydale, right?

Sensing that William wasn't getting through to her, Fred reached over and put a comforting hand on the Slayer's back. "Buffy, it's gonna be alright. We'll keep searching through the whole house if need be and I promise you, we'll find the book..."

"If it was even here in the first place," Gunn grumbled but stopped as both Fred and William shot him a look that told him he was either going to be eviscerated or circumcised, he wasn't sure which; either way though, it was going to be extremely painful and not very pretty.

"Look," Garrick stated, stepping into the conversation. "We've looked for this bloody book for over an hour now. Obviously it's not here." Turning to Buffy he added, "Is there some place else that Rupert would keep his things?"

"No. He stays at a hotel whenever he's in town and this time he didn't pack because he came through the portal." Suddenly a light bulb turned on in her head as she put two and two together. "That's it!" She shouted. "He must have left the book behind at the Magic Box. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. They opened the portal at the shop. It must be there! How could I be so stupid?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head sugar," Lorne said with a smile. "None of the rest of us thought of it either."

"Speak for yourself dude," Gunn replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "Didn't I just say that it wasn't here?" He flinched as Lorne elbowed him in the stomach. "Ouch! That wasn't needed!"

"Well none of the rest of us heard you suggest where else it might bleeding well be," William stated with his hands on his hips as he took a threatening step towards Gunn. He had had about enough negativity from the L.A. punk. No wonder he and the poof got on so well, he thought to himself, two peas from the same brooding pod.

Buffy stepped in between the two men. "That's enough. Let's just go over to the Magic Box and look there, okay? We don't have time for this. We're no closer to solving this than we were twenty-four hours ago and people I love are missing, not to mention the fact that William and I have a date with one pretty ugly vampire in a few hours."

"Fine," William responded, still eyeing Gunn menacingly. "Everyone get dressed and get their things together. We're going to leave for the shop in ten minutes."

* * *

The seven of them walked most of the distance to the Magic Box in silence, just as they had the night before when they had walked to Buffy's house for sleep. Before leaving for the shop, Buffy and William had emptied the weapons box, making sure each of the others were armed with stakes, swords, axes and crossbows. It had been a definite plus that neither of them had had to show anyone how to properly use the stuff, everyone was pretty much in the same line of work. Over her shoulder, Buffy slung a duffel bag filled with the rest of the weapons as well as something that she thought William might like to have for their confrontation with the Master. She felt almost silly for grabbing it but something just told her that he would need it tonight.

"Do you always look this serious?" Geoffrey asked as he sidled up next to her.

"Only when the world is going to end," Buffy responded with a small smile. "Which is pretty much every other day here on the Hellmouth."

"I'm sure you and William will have no problem defeating the Master and stopping the Last Judgment."

"Does the prophecy say that we're going to win and it'll be sunshine and puppies for everyone?"

Geoffrey tilted his head to the side as he studied the Slayer. He could see why William was so entranced by her; he would be too if it weren't for the fact that William was one of his best mates. "Are you usually this impertinent?"

She laughed at his question. "I guess they didn't give you Buffy Summers 101 at that academy of yours did they?" She watched as he smiled and shook his head slowly. "They did, didn't they? I should have known," she stated, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes.

"Don't worry. Rupert and William set us on the straight and narrow. Leave it to Quentin to try to put such a horrid spin on things."

"Not a Quentin Travers lover, huh?" She asked with a smile. It was always nice to know there were others within the Council that couldn't stand him either.

"Not really. Uncle Quentin is far too pompous and long winded for my tastes."

Buffy's eyes widened as she abruptly stopped walking. The others didn't notice since she was bringing up the rear. "I don't think I heard right. Did you just call him uncle?"

Geoffrey laughed as he stopped beside her and placed his hands in his trouser pockets. "Noticed that, did you? Yes," he stated shrugging his shoulders and sighing theatrically. "I'm his nephew, unfortunately enough."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she wondered if he was trustworthy. After all, he was related to the head of the Council. That could never be of the good.

Sensing her uneasiness, he smiled his most charming smile to try to put her at ease. "I know what you're thinking..."

"No. I really don't think you do," she snarked in response as she started walking again, hurrying her pace so as to catch up with the others.

Her coarse remark had taken him by surprise so it took him a moment to get his feet moving again. When he caught up with her, he gently tugged on her arm to get her to stop again. He waited for her to spin around before he started with his explanation. "Look, Buffy, I know that you're not high on the Council and all of that, but not all of us are part of the bad guys."

"Really? Why should I trust you?" She asked, giving him one of those 'if looks could kill' kind of glares.

"Because I trust him, pet," William responded from behind her, taking notice of Geoffrey's expression of awe towards his lover.

Buffy glanced at one and then the other, trying to decide whether or not to buy into it, even if William did. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders. "Fine. Whatever."

"Buffy," Geoffrey began, desperately trying to smooth things over with the Slayer. "Do you think I would have told you up front that Quentin was my uncle if I was trying to deceive you?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if you did. Gain my trust and then, wham! Smite me down."

"Smite you down?" The charming young man asked as he tried not to laugh. "There will be no smiting on my watch, missy," he stated as seriously as he could without making her feel as if he were teasing her some more. "Buffy, I understand your hesitancy when it comes to the Council, I really do. What my uncle did to you and Rupert is completely reprehensible. That being said, I am nothing like my uncle. Nothing."

"He's got a point," Garrick added, joining the small group and looking quite grim. "Quentin is pretentious and dull, nothing like our Geoff who searches for trouble and invariably always seems to find it."

"I do not!" Geoffrey shot back, feigning hurt feelings. "It usually finds me."

The three friends laughed while Buffy tried not to smirk in response to the comment. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"Seriously though," Geoffrey continued, turning to Buffy and looking her straight in the eyes. "I am here to help you and William and Rupert, not to hinder you in any way. You don't have to like me but I would like for you to trust me, seeing as how I'm going to have to be assisting with the spell to call on the powers of the Twelve. Will you at least give me the benefit of the doubt?" He asked, putting out his hand in a gesture of friendliness.

She looked at Geoffrey and then at Garrick. Finally, she rested her gaze on William who was nodding his head. Taking a deep breath, she extended her hand and grasped his. She couldn't help but give him a slayer strength squeeze. The look on his face more than made up for the fact that he was related to the biggest ass on the planet. "All right. But just remember, I'll be watching you and if you even give me one reason to think..." she trailed off as several large demons approached them at a fast pace. "Look out!"

* * *

"What the bloody hell...?" William demanded as he pulled out a sword to help fend off the attack. "Gorash demons are not supposed to be aggressive by nature!"

"Somebody should tell them that," Buffy stated as she raised her sword as well. Anxiously, her eyes swept their surroundings; more demons were coming at them, all shapes, sizes and types. The smaller group from L.A. huddled together behind her group, axes and swords at the ready. Slowly she began backing up towards them, all the while keeping her eyes on the approaching demons.

"The Master must have sent them," Garrick stated calmly as he backed up as well. Soon all seven of them stood back to back in a small circle, facing the approaching demons. "He's trying to stop you from reaching him before the scheduled time."

"You mean he doesn't like early arrivals?" Buffy snarked as she used a roundhouse kick to knock the demon onto its back. "William!" She yelled as she swung an axe into the demon's chest. "Keep an eye on the others!"

Knowing full well that she could handle herself, and that Garrick and Geoffrey were there to help her, William joined the AI gang, half expecting to see the demons with the upper hand. However, he was quickly surprised by the fact that several demon bodies were lying about the ground with heads and limbs sliced off, leaving sticky entrails and oozing goo everywhere. Even little Winifred was holding her own by fighting with such fortitude that several other demons were shrinking away from her. As he began to fight a Quantith demon, carefully trying to avoid it's poisoned tentacles; out of the corner of his eye he caught movement. He watched in horror as a Siklance demon began running towards Fred, razor sharp claws extended and glistening in the sunlight. Before he could dispatch the demon he was fighting so that he could run to assist her, Gunn jumped in, pulling her out of the way just before its large claws cut her to shreds. Once the Quantith demon was dead, he then turned to help Lorne fight off a Gorash demon that had gotten away from Buffy and the others.

In less than ten minutes, all the demons that had attacked them were dispatched. Incredibly enough, no one had suffered any major injuries. A few bumps and bruises, a couple of scratches, were all that were found.

William walked over to Gunn and clapped him on the back. "Nice work. You had some really great moves out there."

"Thanks," Gunn stated dryly as he pulled out of Fred's embrace.

"You remind me a lot of myself when I was a vampire, driven. Just don't let the anger take over and you'll do fine."

Gunn opened his mouth to make his usual smart remark but then immediately snapped it closed, nodding his answer instead.

William tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, waiting for the response but being surprised by just the nod. "Come on. Come help us hide the bodies?"

"Why do you hide the bodies?" Gunn asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Well we can't let them lying about for the general public to see, now can we?" William replied with a grin. "Gotta keep up the appearance of Sunnydale being a normal little town and all."

"Uh, okay..." Gunn stated as he headed off in Buffy's direction to help with the demon removal detail.

* * *

They had lost several precious minutes battling the demons and then hiding their bodies in the thick underbrush. As a result, they picked up their pace to the Magic Box. Originally Buffy had just wanted to leave the demons as they fell and have the police clean things up like they normally did, but Garrick and Geoffrey had insisted they go by the book on this one. That bit had irked her. This was her town and those were her demons. An apocalypse was just a few hours away and they were worried about keeping the town tidy? Just who were they trying to impress anyway? It wasn't like people were actually out on the streets, everyone was too afraid, which made her job much easier at the moment. She tried to keep her mind focused on that particular bit of insanity instead of what could be happening with their friends and Dawn. Perhaps the trials weren't as bad as she kept envisioning them to be, but something inside her told her otherwise. She kept picturing the most horrendous things possible, blood and gore everywhere...none of them making it out alive. She shuddered.

"Look out!" Gunn shouted as he grabbed his axe with both hands. "We've got another demon guarding the front door!"

Buffy snapped out of her thoughts in time to hear William laugh and to see the "demon" that was waiting for them. Smiling brightly, she greeted Clem with a huge hug while everyone but William watched in awe. "Hi Clem!"

"Hi Buffy. I've been so worried about you and Spike. Things are happening. _Bad_ things."

"Yeah, mate. We know," William stated as he walked over to his friend. "Everyone I'd like to introduce you to Clem. Clem, this is everyone."

Clem smiled shyly and waved his hand, folds of skin jiggling in response to the movement. "Hi everyone."

Garrick and Geoffrey exchanged curious glances while Fred smiled and Gunn eyed the new creature warily. "He's perfectly safe," William responded with a sigh as he rolled his eyes at the rest of the group. "Come on now, let's go find this book."

One by one, they filed into the shop. It was just as they had left it the night before, in somewhat of a chaotic state. "Okay," Buffy stated, setting her bag on the top landing before walking down the steps. "The book has to be in here. Leave no stone, err, table unturned. Got it?" Everyone nodded back at her except for Clem who raised his hand. "Clem?"

"Uhm, what book, exactly, are we looking for?"

"The Book of Rentar," Garrick replied as he walked over to the bookshelves.

"No kidding?" Clem asked, somewhat surprised.

Garrick spun around to face the demon with the excessive skin condition. "You know of it then?"

Clem shrugged a bit but then slowly answered. "Word on the street is that the Master's looking for it. He'll pay top dollar."

"Pay how?" William asked, his eyes narrowing.

"He's offering anyone who finds the book, a place at his side once he ascends."

"That's a pretty big deal," William scowled. "This is serious stuff."

Buffy snorted. "So that's what the demon greeting party was all about."

"Sounds like he wants this book in the worst way," Gunn added as he rested the axe over his shoulder.

"Which means we should get cracking," Lorne stated with a grave tone. He hadn't been thinking about Cordelia and Angel before this, but now he had this feeling of dread that he couldn't shake. Something had happened to them, he just knew it. Something awful.

"Ah hah!" Fred shouted with glee as she came running from the back room, waving a book in her hand. "I found it!"

"Excellent work, babe," Gunn stated, beaming proudly at her.

She handed the book to Garrick, who had raced to her side looking relieved. "Are you sure this is gonna help them?"

"Quite," he responded as he flipped through the pages, stopping only when had reached the right chapter. He paced the shop as he read, the others following closely behind him. Suddenly, he turned around and began counting the number in the group. His face turned pale and worry crept into his features. "This will not do at all," he said sadly.

"What won't do?" Buffy demanded, restraining herself from shaking the man in front of her. She calmed only when William put his arm around her waist.

"We need seven to perform the spell. Not counting Buffy and William, we only have six. William, do you know of a seventh?"

"Well do we really need seven? I mean, can't we get by with just six?" Gunn asked, still resting the axe over his shoulder. "We've helped with spells before..."

Before Garrick could answer, Lorne stepped into the conversation. "Normally when a spell calls for seven, it means seven. No more, no less. Now unless you're going to split yourself in half with that axe, I suggest we concentrate on finding one more person."

"Well, we don't know anyone else here," Fred replied with a frown. "Everyone else we know is among the missing."

"Any ideas, Buffy?" Geoffrey asked, turning to look at her. He felt his heart skip a beat as her eyes met his. Quickly he turned away as he felt the heat rise in his cheeks. The last thing he wanted to do was to fall for the Slayer, but he just couldn't help himself. William was one lucky man.

She caught his embarrassment and smiled slightly in response. She was glad for Geoffrey that William hadn't caught the exchange. She certainly didn't need William getting all jealous and bothered, not tonight. "I don't know anyone else in town that we can trust," she finally replied after taking a deep breath.

"No," Geoffrey said shaking his head. "We've not come this far only to be stopped by a bloody formality. Someone's just going to have do two peoples worth."

"It's not that simple and you know it," Garrick replied, trying to remain calm. "We need to find a seventh. The spell cannot be done otherwise."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Fred wondered aloud.

"Yeah, do you want us to go and pull some idiot off the street that was too stupid to know they shouldn't be out there in the first place?" Gunn asked, throwing his axe down on the ground. "Cause if that's what it takes, I'll do it."

Garrick shook his head in response. "No. That won't do. We need a seventh that is magically inclined or is at least aware of magicks."

"Great," Gunn stated as he folded his arms over his chest. "More stipulations. Where are we going to find one of those? It's not like we can just go knocking door to door."

"I'll do it," a female voice said from the doorway. "I'll be your seventh."  



	37. Best Laid Plans

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** As Buffy and William prepare to meet with the Master, the others formulate a plan of their own...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Inside & Out"_

  
- 37 -  
Best Laid Plans

The lowering sun shone through the front window of the Magic Box, casting long prisms across the shop floor as the woman in the doorway continued to stare at the group inside. Had they not heard what she had just said to them? She couldn't tell since all they were doing was looking at her, mouths agape and eyes blinking. From what she could understand about the situation, time was precious so they didn't really have a choice as to whether or not she would be permitted to help. She would be their seventh and that would be the end of the discussion. Folding her arms across her chest, she sighed.

"Are you people deaf?" She demanded with a glare.

"No," Gunn replied taking several steps forward, scowling at her. "We just don't really like you much."

Pushing herself off the doorframe she was leaning on, she sauntered into the room, smirking. "You may not like me, but you need me."

Buffy looked at the three people left from Angel Investigations, trying to decide if it was worth bringing this woman into an already tense situation. There was something that felt off about her, but at the moment, beggars couldn't really be choosers could they?  
  
"Get out," Gunn growled at her, running his hand over the handle of the battle-axe at his side. "Before I do something I may regret later; then again, I may not..."

"Charles!" Fred chided him. "We need her. As much as we may not like it, we need her to help save the others."

"Yeah," Lorne sighed, agreeing with Fred but feeling defeated despite it. "We do."

"She stays," Buffy stated, trying to be the voice of reason. "We need a seventh and she's the only thing we have right now." Noticing the looks on Garrick's and Geoffrey's faces, she realized introductions were in order, especially since they would need her for the spell. "Guys, this is Lilah Morgan. Lilah, this is Garrick and Geoffrey...from the Watchers Council." She watched Lilah's face for a reaction at the mention of the Council, but none came. This one was smooth.

"She works for the people that are responsible for this mess," William stated coldly, not really caring for the spot they were in, but understanding that they could use her as a means to an end.

"Is that so?" Garrick asked; his eyes narrowing as he stepped towards her. "So you work for Wolfram and Hart, do you?"

"Actually, no," Lilah replied, her eyes glancing down at her feet before she continued. "Not anymore."

"Were you fired?" Fred demanded with a frown.

Silence.

"Of course you were, weren't you, sugar plum?" Lorne asked, smugly. "I'd bet the farm that it had something to do with bringing in a traitor."

Lilah pursed her lips and looked everywhere in the room but at those in the group. "Something like that," she said almost in a whisper as she fidgeted with the buttons on her shirtsleeve.

Gunn laughed as he leaned against the counter. "So the great Lilah Morgan isn't so great after all, huh? Which brings me to my next question. Why _are_ you back here?"

"That's a very good question," Lorne agreed, moving closer to the woman who had been their enemy for so long. "Why are you back here?"

"Let's just say that it's in the best interest of both our sides to have me here right now."

Gunn growled. "Uh, uh. You don't expect us to believe that for a minute. You're here for yourself, not anyone else. What's in it for you?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying," Gunn growled as he flew at Lilah but Lorne grabbed his arm before he got far.

"I'm here to help, you ungrateful little bastard!"

"She's back for Wesley," Fred stated as the realization hit her. "She's in love with Wes!"

"What?" Gunn demanded, trying to calm down. "You're joking, right? There's not a caring bone in her body..."

"Okay," Buffy demanded as she stepped between the two. "That's enough. There'll be plenty of time for the snide comments and accusations later, _after_ we defeat the Master. Got it?" She asked looking at Gunn and then at Lilah, challenging them to defy her. "Good. Now, let's get started. Garrick, do you have everything you need?"

"I think so. The spell just calls for the normal ingredients and one special herb, but I'm sure that won't be a problem, what with us being in a real magic shop and all."

"Quite right," Geoffrey added. "And if the shopkeeper is anything like Rupert has described her, you'll be able to find it without a problem."

Buffy chuckled. "Yeah, just be sure to write her a note to let her know what you took. She'll probably be looking for payment after I save her ass. I want the rest of you to help Garrick with whatever he asks you to do. No questions. We don't have the time."

Everyone nodded.

"While you lot sort this out, the Slayer and I will try to do a little training in the back room before we head out. We need to focus so don't disturb us unless it's absolutely important."

"What about her?" Fred asked, tilting her head towards Lilah. "What if she causes any problems?"

Buffy threw a crossbow at Fred who caught it handily. "Use this," she stated matter of factly as she turned to walk out of the room, William following at her heels.

Fred and Lorne exchanged worried glances as Gunn smiled widely.

* * *

Before entering the back room, Buffy grabbed the duffle bag that she had brought from home and took it with her; the contents still unknown to William or the others. Her mind began to whirl with thoughts of the Master. She had faced him once before and had died at his hands, but Xander had brought her back to life with his knowledge of CPR. Dying wasn't something you forget all that easily and she would know, having died twice already. Despite her death by drowning, she had defeated the Master, sending him to hell for all eternity. At least, that's what she had thought at the time. However, after returning from her summer vacation in L.A. a few short months later, she discovered that the Anointed One, who had hopes of resurrecting the bat-like creature, had dug up the Master's bones. With Angel's help, she had managed to stop the Anointed One's plans. Afterwards, she took a sledgehammer to the Master's skeleton, pounding his bones into pieces. At that point, she had been fairly certain that they had finally seen the last of him. But she had been wrong, _very_ wrong. Sighing, she realized she should have known better, after all, she _did_ live on the mouth of Hell.

"Buffy?" William asked with concern, noticing that she had that far away look in her eyes that she usually got when she retreated into herself. "Buffy?" He asked again, this time gently gripping her upper arm, hoping to get her attention. The last thing they needed was for her to go all catatonic like she did when Glory took Dawn.

"Huh?" She whispered, slowly coming out of her daze.

"Luv, try not to worry so much," he stated as he cupped her chin in his palm. "We're going to get through this, together. You and me."

"You seem pretty confident about that," she retorted, eyeing him suspiciously. "Know something the rest of us don't?"

"Yes."

Placing her hands on her hips, she quirked a questioning eyebrow at him, demanding an immediate answer. "And that would be what?" She pressed when he didn't respond right away.

"Have you forgotten that you have a former Big Bad in your midst? I may not be a baddie now Buffy, but I certainly still know how to think like one."

She considered his words. He was right. He may be all human and soul-like now, but for over a century he had been a creature of the night. "Okay Mr. Big Bad," she stated, nodding her head in agreement. "You've got me there, but there's still one little problem."

A look of puzzlement crossed his face, as he looked at her, not sure what she was getting at. "What would that be?"

"You're human now, Spike. Totally human, needing breath and having a heartbeat. You don't have the same abilities you had when you were a vampire. Although, I do have to admit, you're still pretty strong and...."

"Buffy, I'm a bit more than human. You know that."

"Yeah and I still don't know why."

"I'd love to explain it to you in detail, but we don't have the time. Just know this, when I completed my trials, not only did I get the powers of the creature I defeated, but I received something else."

"What else?" She asked, screwing her face into a frown.

"Well, as Anya likes to think of it, 'a gift with purchase'."

"What kind of gift?" She demanded, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach.

He looked at her and smiled, trying to calm her. "Apparently, at some point, I had asked the beast to give you what you deserved." Then he frowned. "Thing is," he began again, slowly. "I only remember telling him that I wanted to be like I was before. Don't remember that other part. Anyway, it seems..."

"Yes?" She said, urging him to continue.

"It seems that he turned me into a male slayer of sorts."

Her mouth dropped open. She was stunned and unable to speak. "Wh-What?"

"It's complicated Luv, but suffice it to say," he stated with a wicked grin. "I'm just like you, but with the male bits."

"A male slayer, but there's never been one...not _ever_. How...?"

"I dunno how," he stated as he pulled her into his embrace. "But I'm thankful nonetheless. I have all the same powers you do, mostly, except my hearing's not as good as before."

"So that's how you could send that vamp flying across the cemetery with just one kick," she mussed. "Let me get this straight," she began, pulling out of the embrace and looking him in the eyes. "The beast gave me what I deserved? And what is that exactly? A guy who is like me?"

"An equal. Someone who will understand your duty and embrace your destiny."

She was speechless. He was right, again. Hadn't she always wished for someone who would understand her and the things she did, no questions asked? And hadn't she always wanted someone who could hold their own in battle but yet still know how to make her feel incredibly sexy at the same time? She had and now her wish had been answered in a way she never dreamed possible. Amazing. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After a few moments, she released him from the embrace. "So, we have a former Big Bad who's now on our side. And not only does he still think like a Big Bad, but he can slay beasties as well?"

"That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Although, not too terribly different from before I became human."

Suddenly, a wide grin broke out on her face. "Okay then," she stated as she pulled the duffle bag off her shoulder and tossed it to him. "Since you're still a Big Bad, you might need this."

"What's this?"

"Open it up and find out," she said, smiling playfully.

Quickly he unzipped the bag and opened it. His breath caught in his chest as he looked at the contents. "Buffy, I can't..." he tried to say, lifting his head to look at her, his eyes watery.

"You can," she stated, giving him a reassuring smile. "Spike, stop trying to suppress who you are, what you are."

"But you said no more..."

"Forget what I said, Spike. Be who you are. Speaking from experience, it only messes up your mind more if you keep trying to hide." Before he could retort with his usual protesting statement, she held up her hand. "You are not a monster, Spike. Not anymore. So take that bag and go in the bathroom and don't come out until you feel like yourself."

He looked at her, tears still threatening to spill. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now get going before I change my mind." She watched as he walked away and then turned, getting ready to go a few rounds with the punching bag, to help take her mind off of what it was he was doing in the bathroom.

* * *

Garrick had already gathered the ingredients for the spell and was putting them in a bag by the time Buffy had rejoined the others in the front of the shop half an hour later. She was surprised to see that they were all working together, maybe not in harmony but at least not in total discord. She watched as they listened to Geoffrey while he taught them the incantation to invoke the powers to the Twelve. Fred was furiously scribbling notes on a small sheet of paper while Gunn tried to pronounce a few of the Latin words correctly. Standing by the stairs to the upper level, and trying to stay out of the way, she found herself unable to take her eyes off Geoffrey. There was just something about him, something she just couldn't put her finger on.

"He's quite the looker, isn't he?" Garrick stated as he stood beside her.

She hadn't heard him come over to her, nor had she wanted to be caught staring at one of William's best friends. "He's okay, I guess," she stated with a shrug, trying to look nonchalant about it despite the pink that had risen up in her cheeks.

Garrick gave her an understanding smile. "You wouldn't be the first to think him handsome, you know. Women chase after him all the time back home."

"I'm surprised he's not married or engaged or something," Buffy responded innocently enough. She wasn't interested in Geoffrey, but at the same time, she felt drawn to him.

"Nah, not our boy. Too busy playing the field and breaking hearts."

Giving Geoffrey one last glance, she turned to Garrick and changed the subject. "You have everything?"

He nodded his response. "Everything was here and I've left Anya a note letting her know what we 'borrowed'."

"Good. So what's the plan?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure exactly. We'll follow you and William to the Master's hideout but we won't follow you inside. We must perform the ritual outside of his dwelling for it to be potent."

"So while William and I are fighting the Master, you guys will do the spell thingy and then we'll be able to kill him for good this time?"

He paused and considered his words carefully before he responded. "Buffy, you must know, this ritual will only work if the others are still alive."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I kinda figured that. We just have to go with the idea that they are, otherwise," she shrugged. "What's the point?"

Garrick looked down at his feet. "Quite right," he replied softly. Then, looking around, he realized that his friend was missing. "Where is William?"

"Right here," William replied from behind.

Both Garrick and Buffy automatically turned to welcome him after he announced his presence. Buffy smiled widely at her lover while Garrick sputtered, causing the others to stop what they were doing and look at him as well. An eerie hush fell over the shop.

* * *

William looked around at the group, suddenly feeling very self-conscious as he walked further into the room. Everyone but Buffy and Clem were looking at him as if he had grown a second head. "Uh, is there a problem or does a Sabertine demon have your tongue?" His hair had been freshly bleached and his curls were now slicked back against his head. He had changed into a black pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. As they stood watching him, he slowly put on the leather duster that he had taken from the last Slayer he had killed. Oddly enough, he felt good, like he was at home again in his own skin. Maybe Buffy had been right, he didn't need to hide from what he used to be in order to understand who he was now.

"I think you look great," Buffy stated with a smile as she walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"That might be so, Luv, but no one else here seems to be that enthused at the moment."

"I would hope not," she teased. "I'd have to hurt them otherwise. Maybe it's the duster they're amazed by," she added thoughtfully, taking a step back and giving him a lingering look.

"So it's true then?" Geoffrey stood, almost knocking over his chair in the process. His face had grown pale and his eyes wide. "You really _were_ William the Bloody."

"Well, yeah. Did you think I was making all that stuff up?"

"Maybe? You have to admit though, you told us when you were totally pissed," he paused, realizing that the Americans would think he meant something else and then corrected himself. "Drunk, you were drunk at the time. Thought maybe you just made it up."

"_You're_ William the Bloody?" Lorne asked in awe. "Wow. I mean, I had heard about you before..."

"From the poofter, I'd wager."

"Nah, Angel cakes doesn't talk much. I read this guy once, I think it was in Albuquerque, or maybe it was Buenos Aires. Doesn't matter, really, but he was terrified of this vampire named William the Bloody or was it Spike?"

"One and the same, mate. Ah, the good ol' days. Back when my name struck fear into the hearts of men, and slayers alike."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever..._William_."

"You know," he stated as he slipped his arms around her waist and gave her a devilish grin. "I think I'd rather be called Spike, it's more..._manly_."

Garrick, looking all the world like he was going to explode with William's final comment, finally spoke. "Really William. Is this all necessary? You're going to fight the Master, not apply for monster of the week. Rupert will be very displeased with you when he finds out that you've tipped your hand. No one is supposed to know..."

"Garrick, everyone already knew. Except for these blokes," he said, motioning towards Lorne and Gunn. "And lady," he added quickly after seeing Fred cross her arms, looking peeved at him for leaving her out. "But that's only because I'd never met them before and I'm quite disappointed that Peaches never mentioned me."

Lilah slowly made her way over to William, her eyes scanning every inch of him appreciatively. "I knew," she stated with an air of smugness. "Wolfram and Hart researchers found a picture of you in an old Chinese newspaper, Boxer Rebellion I believe. You have quite the...history, Spike." Seductively, she straightened the collar of his duster as a bemused Buffy looked on.

"I guess we should get a move on," Gunn stated as he checked his watch, trying to turn everyone's attention back to the problem at hand.

"Yes," Garrick replied. "We need to be in position before the sun sets."

"I have a question," Fred said nervously, wringing her hands as she had back at the house when she told Buffy that Dawn was missing. "Do we know where we're going?"

Geoffrey nervously glanced around the room at the others' expressions. "What? Are you serious? We thought you knew where he was! We're doomed!"

"No we're not," Buffy replied tersely. "According to mine and Spike's dreams, he's in a cave. There's not many caves around Sunnydale. Well, not really. We'll just have to look from cave to cave."

"We don't have the time!" Garrick snapped. "Everything is depending on us being in place by sunset."

"Chill dude," Gunn replied. "The quicker we leave, the faster we'll find the cave and take this thing out."

"Wait," William called out as he tightly grabbed a hold of Lilah's arm and gave her his most evil glare. "We don't need to search for the right cave when we have one of the enemy right here with us. Isn't that right, pet?"

Lilah looked down at his hand on her arm and then looked back up to give him a smug smile. "I guess you expect me to show you where he is?"

"I suspect that you will since I've got this feeling you want to help save your watcher bloke."

"Great," Buffy stated as she grabbed her weapons and headed toward the door. "Let's go. She can lead the way."

Quickly, everyone gathered their weapons and supplies and filed out the door of the Magic Box into the waning afternoon sun.  


  



	38. Pentacle of Agony

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** After Angel is dusted by Holtz, Connor and Dawn are transported to the circle where their own horrors await them...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Best Laid Plans"  
Warning: Contains Character Deaths_

  
_**- 38 -  
Pentacle of Agony**_

"Grab my hand!" Connor shouted to Dawn above the thunderous roar that was coming towards them. It was their time, their turn, to face the trials. What had happened to the others, he didn't know, but what he did know was that if he and Dawn were going to make it through this, they needed to work together.

Dawn did as she was told. As soon as she reached for his hand and he grabbed a hold of it, she could feel them being swept up in a torrent of air. She felt weightless, like she was floating. All thoughts of what was about to happen to them were rushed out of her mind as their bodies spun endlessly through the stars. At least she thought they were stars.

Then there was nothing but the semi-darkness and solid ground, a circle of torches surrounding them.

Connor pulled Dawn close to him as he allowed his inherently superior eyesight to take over. Every fiber of his being told him that nothing but evil lurked here. "Stay behind me," he told Dawn as they inched their way into the middle of the circle.

"I don't need you to protect me you know. I have my own powers."

"I know, but your mom said that we need to work together."

Suddenly, Dawn stopped and gasped as she tugged on Connor's hand. "Look," she said, fear evident in her voice while she pointed to the ground beside them.

"Blood," he stated as he crouched down to touch it. Slowly he lifted his finger to his nose and sniffed the watery red substance. "Cordelia's."

Dawn's eyes grew huge. "Are you sure?"

He nodded, closing his eyes. A feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that Cordelia was dead.

"There's more blood. Over there...and over there," she said pointing. "I don't like the look of this." She was shivering now. There was blood everywhere she looked, too much blood. It was clear what had happened to the others, their fate had been death. Were they going to die too? Desperately, she tried to push the thought out of her mind.

As they approached the other side of the circle, Connor's eyes came to rest on a pile of dust. He felt his knees buckle and his stomach clench.

Dawn felt him tighten his grip on her hand. "What is it, Connor? What's wrong?"

He turned to her, tears stinging his eyes. "I think...I think my father has been killed as well."

Before Dawn could answer, a voice came from behind them. "Right you are, my dear boy."

* * *

Connor spun around, positioning himself between the voice and Dawn. It was instinctual that he wanted to protect her, even though he knew she didn't need protecting. He was somewhat surprised when she allowed him to shield her from the unknown. That voice. There was something about the sound of that voice that sent chills up and down his spine, but yet there was something familiar about it as well. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"Why is your father's death so upsetting to you?" The female voice asked instead of answering his question. "It's not like you knew him. In fact, I heard that you even tried to kill him. A chip off the old block, aren't you? Although, I'm not sure which block that would be." 

"What do you know about my father?" He commanded, anger seeping into his tone.

Slowly, the figure stepped out of the shadows, shrouded in a dark cloak. Automatically, both teens took a step backwards. "Come now my darling, don't be afraid." The visitor said soothingly.

His eyes narrowed and his body tensed. Could it be? But he had never met her, never known her, still there was something inside of him that knew who it was. Hesitantly, he took several steps forward, still holding onto Dawn's hand.

"Do you know her?" Dawn whispered as she tried to size up the cloaked woman in front of them. "Who is she?"

"I think...I think she's my..."

"Mother," Darla stated, pulling the hood off her head to reveal her smiling face.

"I know who you are," Dawn gasped as she recognized the female vampire. "You bit my mother and tried to make it look like Angel did it. Angel killed you!"

"Yeah, but you know how it goes," she replied, smiling sweetly. "You never stay dead for long around here. Besides," she continued as she took in the sight of the two teens holding hands. "Where would you two be right now if I hadn't come back?"

"Better off," Connor growled angrily. "It would have been better if I had never been born!"

"You don't mean that, darling." She walked over to him, still smiling pleasantly. "You have grown up so much. I guess that trip to Quartoth wasn't the best thing for your development."

He glared at her but said nothing. Most of his life, he had never even given his mother a second thought, after all, Holtz had told him what she was, what she always would be and he'd wanted nothing to do with that. Now, here she was in front of him. Hatred mixed with wonder coursed through his body. Suddenly, hundreds of questions began streaming through his mind.

She reached out her hand and delicately traced his cheek with a finger. "You're so handsome. Just like your father."

Connor noticeably flinched when she touched him. "Where is my father?"

"Daddy's dead, darling," she laughed as she continued to take in his features. "I'm the only family you have left now." 

"No you aren't," Dawn hissed, taking a step forward but never letting go of Connor's hand. "He still has me and he has my family."

Darla smiled brightly at Dawn. She cocked her head to the side, considering the teenaged girl in front of her. She had been told that the girl was not to be harmed, that she possessed great powers and that another would be sent to deal with her. As much as she wanted to claim this one for her own, she knew better than to anger the Master. "Of course he does, but not for long. Soon you won't have anyone, and then where will you be?"

"She's not going anywhere without me. I'll always protect her, no matter what."

"So much like your father," she mussed sadly to herself. "Always trying to be the warrior, the protector."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Dawn snapped back.

"You'd do well to keep your mouth shut. I'm tiring of you already," she said as she backhanded Dawn across the cheek.

Dawn turned her head back towards Darla, hatred lighting her eyes. "Don't touch me!"

"Or what, little girl? What will you do to me?"

"She won't do anything, but I will," Connor replied with an air of authority surrounding him.

"Such an ungrateful child. I staked myself to save you and this is the thanks I get?"

"You should have let me die."

"Yes, so you said before. All right then, let's get down to business. The only way for you two to get out of this alive is if you," she said, grabbing Connor's hand. "Come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Ever."

"You are my son and you _are_ coming with me."

"I refuse."

"Fine then. We'll just do things the hard way," she stated as she slipped into her vampiric features.

* * *

Sensing that Darla was distracted by Connor's attitude, Dawn frantically looked around the circle, searching for weapons, anything that they could use to fight against the vampire. Behind them, where they had found Angel's dust, was an axe. She couldn't remember seeing it there before, but for whatever reason, it was there now. Giving Connor's hand a squeeze, she let go and slowly backed up. She was grateful that Connor hadn't turned to face her or had had a problem with her letting go of his hand; it would have only tipped off Darla to what she was trying to do. Keeping her eyes on the mother and son, she slowly reached down to pick up the axe. Suddenly she felt an arm around her neck and one around her waist. Startled, she screamed.

"And just what were you trying to do, little girl?" Darla asked with a smile. "You weren't trying to get that axe to kill me with, now were you?"

Connor had tried to stop his mother before she had reached Dawn, but he just hadn't moved fast enough. Now, his girlfriend stood before him, eyes wide and full of fear, trembling under his mother's grasp. "Let her go!" He demanded. He blamed himself for Dawn's precarious position.

"No sweetie," she cooed at him. "Not this time. Actually, I'm kinda hungry." She pulled Dawn's long hair away from her neck, exposing the tender flesh.

"No!" He screamed, running towards them, knocking his mother and Dawn to the ground. Rolling to his right, he grabbed the axe and helped Dawn to her feet. "You will not touch her!"

"Then you'll have to kill me," Darla replied, smirking up at him.

"Whatever it takes." He ran towards her, screaming, as he swung the axe.

Darla laughed and rolled away, just in time to for the weapon to miss her head. "That's it, that's my boy."

"I will kill you!"

"Of course you will. You must," she stated as she kicked him in the stomach, sending him and the axe to the ground. "It's your destiny."

He recovered from the kick and sent her flying with one of his own. For every move she made, he matched it flawlessly. Finally, he sent her to the ground with one, hard punch to the face. In an instant, he was standing over her with the axe. He raised his weapon and was about to bring it down on her neck when Dawn screamed at him to stop.

"Don't do it! Don't become what she is," Dawn pleaded with him, laying a hand on his shoulder. "You're not a murderer. You're not like her." Connor continued to stand over his mother, no emotion showing on his face. Dawn wasn't certain if he had even heard her or not. Several tense moments passed and then he laid the axe down on the ground.

"I will not kill you," he said, backing away from Darla. "I don't want to be like you."

Darla stood, wiping the blood from her swollen lip. "It's such a shame you had to turn out like your father. I had such high hopes for you."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for what?" Darla demanded, confused.

"Thank you for saying that I'm like him. He was a good man despite being a monster."

Before either of the teens could react, Darla picked up the axe and ran at him. As Dawn stood by, watching helplessly, Darla buried the axe into Connor's midsection. "Sorry, my dear boy."

Dawn screamed and tried to reach for Connor's hand but Darla was between them in an instant, separating her from Connor. If she could just touch his hand, she would be able to save him with her healing powers. Flailing her arms and legs, she tried to beat off Darla, but it was useless. The more she struggled the tighter the vampire's grip on her became. "Connor!" She shouted.

"Dawn?" Connor managed to gasp. He turned his head to face her, as he lay on the ground, blood pouring from him. "I love you..."

"No! Connor! No!" She sobbed. Suddenly, Darla was gone and she was free. Struggling to her knees, she crawled the distance to Connor's side, hoping beyond hope that he was still alive. She placed her hand on his chest. There was no rise or fall of breathing, no beating of a heart. His eyes stared endlessly at the place she had been. Slowly, she closed his eyes and kissed his cheek, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry," she cried. "All these powers and I couldn't even save you."

"That's a pretty big bummer, huh?"

* * *

Dawn froze in her spot next to Connor's mangled body. She knew that voice. She didn't even have to turn around to look at the person to confirm what she already knew. Slowly, she stood up, her eyes never leaving Connor's face as if staring at him would summon all the strength she would need to face the thing standing behind her. "You're dead," she stated courageously, balling her hands into fists and biting her lip.

"Aren't we all at one time or another on the Hellmouth."

"You're not real."

"Oh, I'm real. Right here, right now...I'm real. And damnit, I think I broke a nail getting here."

Dawn glared at the image sideways, anger and hatred covering her face, but she didn't say a word.

"Too bad about your little boyfriend there, honey. I'm sure he didn't feel much. Not like what you're going to feel. I should have finished the job the first time around, but no, your big sister had to interfere as well as that stuffy British guy."

"Buffy beat you."

"No sweetie. Not really. Yeah, she sacrificed herself to close the portal cause she realized that you were made from her blood, but she didn't save anyone. That old guy did. You know, the one that you think of as your father."

Dawn looked back down at Connor's body, her anger being replaced by confusion and disbelief. "Giles? He didn't do anything more than the others. It was Buffy that saved the world. She died protecting me."

Glory laughed at her. "She died to close the portal, but by that point, I was already dead. Well, not really me, but Ben. Without Ben's body alive, I was as good as dead too. Your sister left him alive but Giles, see, he knew. He knew that if Ben was allowed to live, I would continue to live, continue to seek out new ways to use you to get back to my dimension." She paused, looking down at her shoes. "These shoes don't really go with this setting, do they? I should have worn sandals."

"What?" Dawn asked in disgust with eyes large and wet as she turned to look at the former Hell God.

"Sandals. They would have been more practical here. Don't you think? Heels just sink in the sand."

"You're lying about Giles. He would never do anything like that." Never. She knew he had some type of dark past, but he would never kill in cold blood like that, not even if Ben had been monstrous to her...he was still human. The rules were different for humans.

"Kid, you have no idea about anything, do you? Of course not," she added as she shook her head, giving Dawn the once over with her eyes. "You've gotten a little older, a little taller, and a little more powerful, but definitely not any wiser. That's too bad."

"You don't know anything about me," Dawn hissed at her, trying her hardest not to be afraid of the creature in front of her.

"Sweetie, all I ever needed to know about you could be summed up in one word. Key. I didn't, and still don't, need to know any more than that."

"I'm not just a key," Dawn growled at the god. "I'm more than that. I'm Dawn Summers."

"Whatever," Glory stated, sounding bored as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I don't have a whole lot of time. And really, I don't care who you are other than the key." She walked over to Dawn and grabbed her by the throat, her eyes narrowing. "So why don't you open me a portal and send me home?"

* * *

Dawn hung from Glory's grasp, frantically trying to pull the demon's hand away from her neck. It was getting harder to breathe as the vice-like grip tightened even more. Anger began to course through her veins as she thought about how much she had hated feeling so helpless and hopeless when Glory had been alive the first time around. She had felt alone then, as she did now, but then she didn't have the powers that she had now. True, she wasn't as strong as Buffy, but she could hold her own and she could heal herself in a pinch if she had to, like she had done at Angel's hotel. She wasn't just "the key" anymore, she was more...so much more and she would be damned if she wasn't going to use them to defeat this wench. Suddenly she stopped struggling and closed her eyes.

"Wow. You're no fun. That was almost way too easy," Glory stated as she continued to hold Dawn at arm's length. Humans were just too easy to kill when you were a god.

"That's what you think!" Dawn yelled as she kicked out and caught Glory by surprise. The force of the kick sent the god sprawling and released Dawn from her grasp. Dawn stood over her, glaring down at her. "Did you really think I'd let you kill me that easily, after what you did to me and my sister and friends? For a Hell God," she stated putting her hands on her hips. "You're pretty stupid."

"Why you impertinent little brat!" Glory screamed, pounding her fists on the ground by her sides. "You'll pay for that."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll try," Dawn stated as calmly as she could, but inside she was trembling. "But I'm not going down without a fight. So if you want to kill me, you're going to have to work harder than that." She folded her arms across her chest and stood defiantly in front of her nemesis.

Glory stood, brushing the sand off herself. Her eyes glowed red as her rage boiled to the surface. "You have no idea what you're in for you stupid little girl."

"I think I have a clue or two. Remember, I faced you once before..."

"And I bled you once before."

"No. It was your lackey who did the cutting since you couldn't reach me in time." She stood up straighter and puffed out her chest. She was scared but there was no way she was going to let Glory know that. "You didn't succeed then and you're not going to succeed now, Glory. You're just a loser."

Glory screamed shrilly at Dawn as she launched herself forward, trying to start her attack but she found that her shoe was stuck in the sand. "See," she stated coolly after looking down at her feet. "I should have worn sandals." Hearing Dawn giggle, she looked up expecting to see a smirking child in front of her, however, what she saw instead was Dawn's fist, which connected with her face with a powerful thud. "You little bitch," she stated as she came to rest several feet away from where she had just been standing. "I am so going to hurt you." Quickly she pulled off her shoes and ran at Dawn again.

Dawn was expecting her so she used Glory's momentum to flip the god over onto her back. She straddled Glory, pinning arms down with her knees as she began beating her fists into the god's face, over and over again. Glory struggled beneath her but it was no match for the fury that had erupted inside of her. She had snapped. Snapped to the point that all she wanted to do was to kill the woman beneath her. So caught up in the beating she was giving Glory, she didn't realize that the god was now laughing at her, encouraging her to continue on...urging her to kill her.

"Come on kiddo, a little harder...break an eye socket or two. I know you can do it. Beat my brains in."

Dawn paused only when she thought she had heard Connor groan. Whirling around, she looked at him closely, trying to see if he was breathing. There was nothing. It had been her imagination, she was sure of it but it had been enough of a distraction to bring her mind back to the present. Slowly she turned to look back down at creature under her. Glory was almost unrecognizable now, her lips were fat and split and her eyes were almost swollen shut. Quickly, she scrambled off the god and backed up, disgusted at what she had done.

"Hey," Glory growled. "Where do you think you're going? You're not finished. I'm not dead yet."

"I'm...I'm not going to kill you," Dawn sputtered, still horrified by her actions.

Glory pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Dearie, you have to. It's kill or be killed. No in between."

"I won't kill you."

Glory rolled her eyes as she stood. "Stupid little girl," she muttered to herself. "All that energy and power. Don't you want to learn to use it?"

"Not if it means becoming like you."

"You think you're so different from me, do you?" Glory asked, her face darkening. "You're not. You're just like me."

"No. No I'm not. I won't fight you anymore and I won't kill you."

"Fine. Then I'll kill you."

Before Dawn had a chance to react, Glory plunged her hands into her brain. The pain was so intense that it was blinding. Was this what Tara had felt? If not, it had to be close. She felt her knees buckle as she slowly sank to the ground. At least she thought it was the ground, maybe? Her life, as short as it was, flashed through her mind, pictures of Buffy and her mother, Spike, all of her friends and then of Connor. He was reaching out to her, telling her how much he loved her. She knew her life was ending, could feel it seeping out of her body and into Glory's. Before the darkness took her, she whispered to the air. "Buffy, I'm so sorry..."  


  



	39. Belly of the Beast

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic][1]_  
_**Summary:** Buffy and Spike prepare to face the Master while the others arrange to do the spell to invoke the powers of the Twelve...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Pentacle of Agony"_

  
- 39 -  
Belly of the Beast

The nearly setting sun blanketed Sunnydale in a scarlet hue, causing everything in its wake to appear blood red. A strange, quiet eeriness fell as nine figures silently stood in the elongated shadows of the tall pine trees on the edge of the woods. Their interest seemed to be focused upon an opening in the side of the hill. After a few moments, the group, moving as one, stealthily retreated into the protection of the small forest. As they stood in the clearing, going over the plan yet again, but in greater detail, Buffy nervously paced a few feet away, her eyes constantly checking the progress of the sun's movement across the sky. It would soon be time to face the Master, the creature responsible for her first death six years ago. She shuddered.

As she continued to pace, her mind went over how quickly and easily she and the others had reached the Master's lair. Their progress had gone unimpeded, despite the vast numbers of minions crawling the streets of town. Her slayer senses were in overdrive because of the ease in which they were permitted to travel. Nothing should be that easy, even with having Lilah know exactly where the cave was located. They had steeled themselves for a fierce battle with the vampires, but none had materialized. She just wished she knew what it all meant instead of making her head hurt and her gut wrench.

"Want to share what's troubling your pretty little mind?" Geoffrey asked with a smile. "Other than the world-ending apocalypse that we're about to face, I mean."

Giving him a half smile, she shook her head in response but then thought better of it. "Don't you think it was strange that no one stopped us from coming here?"

He tilted his head; an expression of thoughtfulness crossed his face. "I suppose it was but I have a theory for that. Would you like to hear it?"

"Sure," she replied, briefly stopping her constant pacing.

"I think we went unharmed because of who you and William are. If the rest of us had tried to travel such as we did, I think none of us would be alive right now."

She frowned. "I'm not sure I follow."

"Buffy, you and William are extremely important to the Master's plan. I would safely say that his minions were under the strictest of orders to not harm either of you. Because the rest of us were with the two of you, we went unharmed as well."

"But that doesn't make sense. Why didn't they just try picking the rest of you off one by one?"

Geoffrey considered her question for a moment before replying. "Honestly, I'm not sure, but maybe the Powers are blinding him to our existence. I don't pretend to know everything and we don't exactly have the time to research it..."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so pushy. I like to ask a lot of questions."

"Questions are good, you know," he stated with a devilish grin. "I ask quite a few myself. Usually gets me into trouble."

She laughed despite trying not to. "Thanks."

"For what?" He asked, perplexed.

"For the talk. I feel a little better."

"My pleasure," he replied. As he began to turn to make his way back to the others, he stopped and looked at her. "Buffy, you're going to get through this. Both of you are."

"I know," she lied, forcing a small smile to cross her lips. "We'll be fine."

He smiled at her and then turned around again, heading off to where the others stood looking grim and defeated.

* * *

From the other side of the clearing, Spike leaned against the trunk of a thick oak tree, watching his slayer closely. He may not have been around for her first demise, but he had definitely been there for her second and for that one, he felt as if he were to blame. He had failed her. He was not going to fail her a second time. This time, there was no way he was going to let anything take her away from him again. Nothing. Not even if it meant sacrificing himself to ensure her safety, but that was a last resort. He refused to see this as a no-win situation and he refused to let his nervousness show. Buffy was doing enough of that for all of them.

Out of habit, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his duster, his left hand coming to rest on a solid, familiar object. His fingers traced it and then held onto it like a life raft in an unexpected storm at sea. Smiling slightly, he unexpectedly had the urge to take that pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and smoke them. The feeling was overwhelming, especially since it was the first time the need had arisen since he had become human. As he took the package out of his pocket and absently tapped it against the palm of his hand, he suddenly had the feeling of being watched. Raising his head to check out the situation, he saw Buffy standing before him, arms crossed and glaring at him murderously.

"What," he demanded, not sure what he had done to deserve her scorn.

"What do you think you're doing with those?"

He looked at her, confusion covering his face. "What in bloody hell are you yapping about woman?"

"These," she growled, grabbing the pack of cancer sticks from his hand.

"Oh," he stated dejectedly. "Those."

"We're getting ready to face the Master and you're thinking of taking up a disgusting old habit?" Her voice was becoming shrill. "Can't you think of anyone but your self?"

Taking a deep breath and glancing briefly towards the others who were now looking more on edge than before, he gently gripped her upper arm and steered her a few feet away from where they were currently standing. "Pet, calm down."

"I am calm! I'm as calm as a-a-a I don't know what, but I'm calm! Obviously you're the one who's not," she shouted waving the pack in front of his face. "Otherwise you wouldn't need these, would you?"

He knew that she was just tightly wound because of their impending situation and that she wouldn't have been like this otherwise. "Luv," he said calmly, grabbing the pack out of her hand and giving her a sympathetic look. "For your information, I found those in my pocket. Now will you just relax, you're not helping anyone by acting this way."

She followed his eyes to the group of seven who were now staring at her. Giving them the best disarming smile she could muster, she turned her attention back to the bleached-blonde in front of her. "Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean..."

"I know, Luv. You're under a lot of pressure is all. It's okay," he said reassuringly as he placed a hand on each of her shoulders and looked in her eyes.

She wanted to drown in the endless depths of those blue eyes, anything to keep her from having to face the Master again. As she tried to lose herself in the ocean of Spike, she heard Dawn's voice, as if her sister were standing next to her.

"Buffy, I'm so sorry..." the air whispered around her.

"Dawnie?" Buffy asked, her eyes widening in shock as she fervently looked around the clearing.

Spike raised an eyebrow and considered her carefully. "Pet?"

"Dawn, she needs me," she cried looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. He was becoming increasingly worried about her state of mind.

"Didn't you hear her?"

"When?"

"Just now."

"Buffy," he stated slowly, frowning. "I didn't hear anything. Are you sure...?"

"William, Buffy," A voice interrupted from behind.

* * *

"Am I interrupting something?" Garrick asked as he approached the couple, noticing their expressions.

"No," Spike responded, giving Buffy a quick glance to make sure she didn't answer. No need to rouse any more alarm.

Garrick, looking from one to the other, knew that they were keeping something from him but he also realized that now was not the time to press for answers, no matter how badly he may need them. "It's time. Sunset's in fifteen minutes. We're going to set up along the tree line. Once we're in position, it's your job to keep the Master distracted long enough for us to do the incantation."

"So you'll be doing it right away then?" Spike asked, trying to make sure they had all the information correct before going in.

"No," Garrick replied, shaking his head. "We have to set up the circle and be in position by sunset. We have to open the circle and pay the proper tributes to ensure that we call upon the correct forces."

"So, once you do all that, then you'll do the spell?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'not exactly'? Are you lot doing the spell or not?" Spike demanded; frustration evident in his tone.

Garrick held up his hands, trying to call his friend. "William, we'll do the spell, don't worry. We have to wait for the exact moment..."

"The exact moment?" Buffy yelled, glaring at the watcher. "And what moment would that be? When the Master kills me or Spike, or both?"

"No," he replied soothingly. "The right moment has to do with the position of the moon. Once the moon reaches its proper place, then we'll perform the spell, but not before then. You two worry about the Master. We'll worry about the spell. Alright?"

Buffy and Spike exchanged glances and slight nods. "Right then," Spike replied for both of them.

Garrick nodded his understanding.

"Ready?" Spike asked the Slayer as he reached into his duster to reassure himself that his weapons were still there.

Buffy picked up her crossbow and quiver full of wooden projectiles and loaded one into the chamber. Her face was serious as she took her attention off the weapon and looked up at the two men before her. "I am now."

Spike and Garrick stared at her, partly in awe at her ability to shift gears and launch into Slayer mode so quickly.

After Buffy had walked over to the others and was out of earshot, Spike slowly turned to his friend. "So, how will we know when the spell works, mate?"

"You'll know," Garrick responded; face more solemn and grave than usual. "Believe me, mate, you'll know."

Spike nodded. "Right then. We're off."

"William," Garrick called after him. As soon as Spike turned around, he continued. "Good luck."

"It's not about luck," he replied grimly. "It's about destiny." He gave his friend a small nod and forced smile. Turning on his heels, he set off at a quick pace to catch up with his beloved.

"Right," Garrick whispered after his friend. He hoped this wouldn't be the last time they ever spoke.

* * *

"It's almost time, Master," Darius stated as he and Drusilla entered the chamber where the Master was now pleasuring himself with his latest creation.

"They're coming Grandpa-pa," Dru sing-songed. "I can feel the naughty Slayer approach us with malice in her heart." She paused, frowning, as she cocked her head to the side as if listening to some voice only she could hear. Growling and eyes flashing yellow, she turned to the Master. "There's a tea party in the woods and we haven't been invited. This is very rude!"

The Master sighed as he disentangled himself from the newly created vampiress. "What type of party, my dear?"

"It's all wrong!" She yelled, shaking and whining. "They want to stop us. To make us burn. But we cannot let them."

"Is that so?" He asked calmly, tapping his fingers against his jaw.

"They must have found the Book of Rentar," the vampiress hissed. "They're preparing to do the spell."

Anger began to boil within him. He had not been brought back again to come this close to his desire and not see it to fruition. "Well, we can't have that, now can we? We're too close. The Last Judgment is almost upon us."

"Let me go after them," Darius growled, his blood screaming to kill. "I will take care of them for you, Master."

"No doubt you would, Darius. I appreciate the offer. You will be rewarded handsomely."

"Please Master," another male voice spoke from the edges of the shadows. "Allow me to assist Darius. Let me prove my loyalty to you by helping him defeat our enemy."

"Very well, Gavin. You and Darius go take care of the little party in the woods while we prepare for the delicious victory that is to be ours."

Both vampires bowed before their master and then took off at a quickened pace for the outside world.

Once again, Dru began to bounce on her feet and clap excitedly. "Grandpa-pa, the stars will sing such songs for us tonight and we will dance with the pixies at a grand ball!" She paused again and smiled wickedly. "My dear sister," she cooed to the vampiress at the Master's feet. "Our Spike is coming! Soon he will be part of the family again!"

The raven-haired female vampire smirked in response. Revenge would certainly be sweet.

* * *

Buffy and Spike stood at the entrance to the cave, weapons ready, bodies tense. Silently they crept into the darkened passageway. Reaching out with her Slayer senses, she knew immediately that they were getting close. Before they could go much further, they heard voices and saw light bouncing off the walls of the passage in front of them.

"In here," Spike whispered, as he backed them into a narrow crevice, giving them a place to hide until the voices passed by.

Buffy peered through the opening, catching a glimpse of the two vampires who sped by them. "Great," she sighed.

"Who was it?"

"The one that sent me the message yesterday while I was with Angel and some other guy I didn't recognize. I knew I should have killed him."

"No point in beating yourself up about it now," he whispered.

"True. But I can kill him now." She stepped out of the crevice and began heading back towards the opening of the cave.

"What are you doing?" He demanded as he grabbed her upper arm, spinning her around to face him.

"Doing what I should have done yesterday, kill him."

"No. We don't have the time."

"What if they're on their way to get the others right now? What if they interrupt the spell? Then what?"

"Buffy, there are two watchers, two demons and three humans who know how to fight vampires. They're going to be fine."

"You don't know that!" She snapped at him. "It's our responsibility..."

"No! It's our responsibility to save the world and our friends and in order to do that we have to go on. Now."

She glared at him. Deep down she knew he was right. This was their path, their destiny, and they had to keep going and face the beast. "Fine, then let's get this over with."

"Right then, let's go."

* * *

Garrick made his way over to the others who were now starting to seat themselves in the circle. He noticed that Geoffrey had already begun to set things up. For a moment, he stood frozen, watching them, a feeling of dread swimming freely in his stomach. 

"They're going to be alright, Gar," Geoffrey stated as he put his hand on Garrick's shoulder, startling his friend out of his thoughts. "Sorry."

"No worries. Are we ready?"

"Just about. We need to take our places and make the appropriate tributes..."

"And then wait."

"Right."

"One minute 'til sunset," Fred called to them. "Best get over here and complete the circle before it's too late."

The two men quickly sat down in their pre-assigned places, joining hands with the others as they began the process of calling on the powers of the Twelve.

"There they are!" Darius shouted as he and Gavin emerged from the trees on the other side of the clearing, game faces on and fangs gleaming.

"Oh my god!" Lilah gasped. "Gavin!"

Fred, Gunn and Lorne all recognized the fledgling vampire as soon as his name left Lilah's mouth. "I suppose we all get what we deserve in the end," Lorne commented icily as he glared at the two vampires.

"Don't break the circle," Garrick warned. "We cannot break the circle!"

"Are you crazy?" Gunn yelled, trying to let go of Fred and Lorne's hands. "They're going to kill us!"

"We cannot break the circle!" Geoffrey roared back.

"So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and let them rip our throats out?"

"No," a female voice responded. "That's why I'm here."

Their heads whipped around, trying to locate the owner of the voice but all they saw was a flash of color and a flurry of hands and legs as the figure began assaulting the monsters.

Lilah's eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she recognized the fighting form.

"Who is that?" Fred asked in awe as she watched the young woman fight.

"I dunno," Gunn replied with a shrug, never taking his eyes off the dark haired woman. "We should help her though; she can't take on that big dude and Gavin by herself."

"Yes she can," Geoffrey stated with a smile. Based on her moves alone, he was pretty sure he knew who it was.

Though Darius was proving to be a formidable foe, Gavin was no match for her. In one smooth motion, she dusted the fledgling and knocked her other opponent to the ground. As soon as Darius was down, she straddled him and lowered her stake, inches above his heart. "Bet you didn't think you were going to die tonight, did ya?" She asked, smiling down at him. Before he could answer, she thrust the stake through his heart, leaving nothing but dust behind.

Slowly she stood up and brushed herself off, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Suddenly, she stopped, sensing several pairs of eyes watching her. "What? Never saw vampires get dusted before?"

"No," Geoffrey answered for all of them. "Just haven't seen it done so well since earlier this afternoon when we all faced a hoard of monsters."

"Cool," the girl replied as she swaggered over to the group. "I never thought I would get here, what with pretty much being on the run and all."

Geoffrey smiled. "But you made it. Was it the dreams?"

"Yeah, how did you know about that?"

"I'd get up and properly introduce myself but you see I'm a bit indisposed at the moment. Geoffrey Ashcroft."

The girl's eyes widened. "So you're..."

"Yes. I am."

"Okay," Gunn interrupted gruffly. "Which one of you would like to share what's going on before I get up and kick your asses?"

"Chill dude," she stated as she crossed her arms over her chest and placed all of her weight on her right hip.

"I'll chill you in a minute," Gunn growled.

Garrick cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Please, shall we try to concentrate on the spell? We don't have much time."

"Well how do we know the Master won't send any more surprise guests while we're doing this?" Fred asked, worried that they wouldn't be able to begin the spell, let alone finish it.

"I've got your backs," the girl responded as she nervously chewed on the side of her thumb. "Do what you guys need to do."

"Thank you, Faith," Garrick said, smiling. "Once we're done here, you and I will have plenty of time to get acquainted."

She nodded at him and then walked over to the edge of the woods to keep watch as the others stared after her.

   [1]: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic



	40. Impending Destiny

**_Author:_**_ PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to...I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset. Excerpts of "A Banishment Spell" located in The Wiccan Handbook by Eileen Holland, were used throughout the later half of the chapter.  
**Website:** http://users.erols.com/ltsmeltz/fanfic  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic  
**Summary:** The Last Judgment begins, hurtling Spike and Buffy towards their ultimate destiny...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Belly of the Beast"_

- 40 -  
Impending Destiny 

The winding passageway towards the Master's chamber was damp and dark. Buffy noted that slime and trickling water covered the walls as well as various eight legged creatures and other kinds of icky insects. Just her luck, she thought as she groped her way along the walls which were guiding her and Spike to their destination, that once again another foe was located in yet another cave. Why did they always have to be in caves? The Master was at least predictable, he had been trapped in a cave the first time around and it seemed that Wolfram and Hart had deemed it appropriate that he be trapped in one again. Why couldn't the last couple of Big Bads take a page out of Spike, Angelus and Glory's playbooks by setting up shop in a nice comfortable, abandoned building? Maybe something along the lines of Angelus' mansion? At least it had been kind of homey and lacking in the critter department. So caught up in her musings about caves, she didn't notice that Spike had stopped moving.

"Ouch," Spike growled in a whisper as he whipped around to look at her. "Wanna watch where you're sticking that thing, pet? I may not be a vampire anymore, but you could still do quite a bit of damage with it."

She looked down at her crossbow, realizing instantly that she had it pressed into his back, the pointy projectile about to damage the leather duster. Good thing for him that she didn't have an itchy trigger finger…yet. "Sorry," she whispered sheepishly.

"Luv, I need you to have your mind here, in the now, not off somewhere in the clouds."

"I said I was sorry, jeez! No need to sound all Giles-y and watcher like. It's not like I actually broke skin or anything." Slowly she took in their surroundings and then she understood why he had stopped. About ten feet ahead of them, light played off the walls, flickering in an eerie way, marking the fact that they were almost there. "Do you think they know we're here?"

"I'm willing to bet my life on it, luv. If Drusilla is in there, well then, it's a given. I'm surprised that they haven't sent the cavalry after us as it is."

"Maybe he doesn't have any backup to spare?"

Spike rolled his eyes and arched his brow, giving her an "are you daft" type look.

She shrugged her response and then quietly added, "I can hope, right?"

"Luv, once we get out of here, you can hope for anything you like," he stated, shaking his head as he began walking towards the light emanating from the chamber up ahead. Sensing her growing apprehension, he reached behind him and caught her hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze, hoping that it would calm her enough to concentrate on their next move.

* * *

After a few more moments of stumbling around the passageway, Buffy and Spike reached the interior of the first chamber, which was lighted by flickering torches hanging on the walls. Scattered shadows danced and jumped along the walls and floor, creating perfect places for evil to hide. Buffy shifted on her feet anxiously. Instinctively, she knew that this wasn't where they would find the Master. No, he would be off in a different chamber, probably heavily guarded, waiting for her…waiting to sink his teeth into her tender flesh. She shuddered slightly as her eyes continued to sweep the chamber, all the while her Slayer senses screaming out to her. Something was with them. She noticed that Spike had probably sensed it too since his jaw was tightly set and the knuckles on his left hand in which he held the sword were turning white.

"Show yourself!" She demanded to the shadows playing on the walls, her hands shaking not from fright but from the anger that was building within her.

"I thought you'd never ask," the voice stated huskily.

That's when they saw the cloaked figure emerge from the shadows, a hood hiding the being's identity. Spike stepped in between the figure and Buffy, deciding instantly that if that thing was here to take out his Slayer; it was going to have to go through him first.

"Such a chivalrous thing to do, William," the form stated, still hiding it's identity from them. "I'm not surprised; after all, you were always quite the gentleman prior to your turning."

Spike cocked his head to the side, eyebrow raised. "Cecily?"

"In the flesh," she stated as she lowered the hood and pushed the cloak off her shoulders, smiling at the two humans in front of her. She had on a black dress with a neckline that plunged to her navel. It accentuated every curve of her body, fitting her like a glove.

"What…what are you doing here?" He asked, puzzlement and horror filling his voice as his eyes swept over her.

Smiling sweetly, she walked towards him, her eyes never leaving his. "Didn't I tell you that I would have my revenge?"

"Revenge?" He asked in confusion. "For what?" Then he understood. She was here to hurt him because he had turned her away and had fallen in love with Buffy instead. "Pet," he began soothingly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. It was the last thing I wanted. People get hurt all the time…"

"Especially when it comes to you and Buffy!"

He sighed in frustration. "Look, just because things between you and me didn't work out, doesn't mean that you had to return to being a vengeance demon…"

"What makes you think that I'm a vengeance demon again, William?" She asked with a smirk.

Frowning, he looked at her intently and then turned to look at Buffy who seemed to be fixated on the woman in front of them. Before he could focus his attention back to his former flame, he heard the familiar sounds of bones shifting into place. His heart sank as the realization of what had become of her hit him full on. Shoulders slumping, his gaze shifted to Cecily's face.

"Don't look so upset, William," she cooed to him. "I'm perfectly fine now and quite capable of protecting myself from the likes of you."

"Cecily," he finally managed to croak out of his suddenly parched throat. "It didn't have to be this way. I'm so sorry, luv." His eyes were full of unshed tears for the woman that he had once loved with all his heart.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" She asked, running a hand down his arm seductively as she slowly began to circle him. "Sorry that I can now smell the fear rolling off you in waves or for the fact that I'm probably ten times stronger than you now?" She paused and looked him in the eyes when she was in front of him again. "No, I think you're sorry for other reasons than those, aren't you?"

Up until this point, Buffy had remained silent but now the anger that had started to ignite within her, boiled to the surface. "How 'bout he's sorry because he and I are now going to have to kill your skanky ass?" She snarked, as she pointed her crossbow at the former vengeance demon and smiled.

Cecily sighed. "You are so predictable, it's almost sad."

"I may be sad, but at least I'm still pretty which is more than I can say for you at the moment. You do realize that you were probably better looking with your vengeance face on than you are right now, right?"

"Why you impertinent little bitch! I'll show you who's pretty once I've gouged out your eyes!" 

Before Spike could stop her, Cecily lunged at Buffy, fangs bared and claws ready to rip open the Slayer's flesh.

* * *

Just as quickly as she had lunged, Cecily pulled back, remembering that the Master wanted the Slayer for himself. She was allowed to play with William all she wanted, but Buffy was off limits. Instead of sinking her fangs into the Slayer she backhanded her, sending her flying into the wall where she slumped to the ground after hitting her head. 

"Buffy!" Spike cried out as he began to run to her side.

Turning on her heels, Cecily spun around and grabbed Spike before he could reach the Slayer. "This is all your fault," she hissed. "If you had just loved me like you were supposed to…" She slipped back into her human face and looked pleadingly into his eyes, deciding to take a different approach. "Did you ever really love me? Even a little bit?"

Spike almost crumbled to the ground seeing the look on her face and hearing the tone of her voice. "Oh god, I'm so sorry pet," he choked. All the guilt of his past transgressions, as well as his inability to properly protect Buffy, suddenly flooded his mind, overloading his senses and temporarily dazing him.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, William. Not now. Not ever. You do realize that I'm going to have to kill you now, don't you?"

He looked at her, the tears still coming freely. "What?"

"You leave me no choice but to kill you." 

"Cecily, you don't have to do this…"

"Yes I do William. It's the only way. You either kill me or I kill you. One of us is not getting out of this cave alive tonight."

"I can't…"

"Then you'll just have to die at my hand," she growled as her hand shot out and gripped his neck, slowly cutting off his air supply. "This whole situation is poetic, don't you think? I mean, you loved me and I loved you but couldn't act upon it. Who knew that my telling you that you were beneath me would set all of this," she said with a sweeping gesture of her free arm, "into motion? You become a vampire, I become a vengeance demon and then, just when we thought we'd never see one another again, we both become human at the same time, a century later. It's the kind of tragedy that Shakespeare would write and with the same type of ending…death and destruction."

"I will not kill you, Cecily," Spike stated firmly, sensing that it was finally time for him to pay the piper for all of his past evil deeds. He threw his weapon down on the ground, disgusted with himself and waited for her to crush his windpipe.

"The only one dying tonight is you," Buffy stated coldly as she pulled herself up from the ground, pointing the crossbow at Cecily once again. "And I'll be the one to do it. Somehow it'll give me satisfaction in knowing that I pulled the trigger and sent you to hell."

Before Cecily could register the fact that Buffy was now conscious and alert, the wooden bolt was lodged in her back, striking her heart. Spike stared into Cecily's eyes as a look of horror crossed her face. Seconds later, he found himself on the ground as she disintegrated into nothing but a pile of dust.

Buffy walked over to him, a look of sadness covering her face. "Don't ever do that again," she stated quietly as she offered her hand to help him to his feet.

"Do what again?"

"Give up."

"Oh," he said, eyes lowering as he stood. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I just thought…I mean; I felt like I wasn't worthy…"

"Spike, I'm not going to pretend that you haven't done awful things in your past because you have, but you've been atoning for them for years. Granted, it hasn't always been in the best way but you're worthy, Spike. So don't you ever do something stupid like that again! Don't you dare leave me!" Tears were flowing now despite her best efforts to keep them in check.

"Oh Buffy," he gulped as he crushed her to him. He had been so caught up in the pain that he had caused Cecily and hundreds of others that he hadn't thought about how his death would affect Buffy. "I swear; I'll never leave you. Ever."

"Good," she replied, taking a deep breath and wiping her cheeks. "Now that that's out of the way, we have a different problem."

"What's that, luv?"

She backed away from him and pointed to the back of the chamber. "Two tunnels and I'm sure only one of them leads to the Master. We should split up."

"Are you daft?" He demanded, shocked at her suggestion.

"No, Spike. We don't have much time, especially since Cecily distracted us for so long. You're going to have to take one passage and I'll take the other. If either one of us runs into trouble we'll yell for the other."

Spike shook his head emphatically. "No. Bad plan."

"Only plan."

"I just promised you that I would never leave you. Ever. What makes you think that I'm going to go for this plan?"

"Because Spike," she stated firmly. "We have no choice."

"Buffy…"

"Spike. Stop. I promise if I run into the Master that I won't be stupid enough to take him on by myself. Now promise me the same thing." She paused and looked at him, waiting for his reply. When none came, her face hardened and her tone became harsh. "Promise."

"Fine," he finally responded, exasperated and not liking this idea of splitting up one bit. "I promise to not fight the Master alone if I find him first. But Buffy…"

"Not buts," she stated with a smile as she brushed her lips against his, trying desperately to hide the feeling of impending doom that was washing through her. She rested her head on his chest. "You know I love you, right?"

"Buffy…"

"William, just answer me," she commanded as she took his face in her hands and stared into the ocean of his eyes. "I love you."

His response was to crush his lips against hers, pouring all of his love and hope into the kiss. Finally pulling back for air, he ran his thumb over her cheek. "I love you, Buffy. Now and forever."

She reached down, picked up his sword and tossed it to him. "I'll take the right. You take the left."

He nodded as they walked towards their respective passageways. Silently he watched her disappear, praying to whomever would listen that he would see her again, safe and unharmed.

* * *

_The Left Passageway…_

Spike maneuvered the passageway as stealthily as a panther stalking its prey, using his newly inherited senses to reach out into the semi-darkness to help him navigate. This passageway was no different than the others he had been through earlier but for the moment, it made the hairs on the nape of his neck stand on end. Evil. It must mean that he was approaching the Master's chamber. Good. At least Buffy wouldn't have to face that grotesque creature again; besides, he had no intentions whatsoever of calling her for help if he got there first. This was his fight, not hers.

He rounded a corner and walked into an empty chamber, devoid of lights and life. Had he made a wrong turn? No, he couldn't have. His senses were still screaming that something evil was with him. Suddenly, a circle of torches surrounded him; the cave melted away and the stars shone down on him.

* * *

_The Right Passageway…_

Buffy navigated her passageway with ease, her slayer-senses tingling, bombarding her mind and body over and over again until she thought she was going to burst at the seams from the intensity of it all. This was the way to the Master; she could feel it, almost as if she could just reach out and touch him from where she stood. Suddenly, she had the overwhelming urge to stop and double back to find Spike; to have him come with her so that she didn't have to face her destiny alone. Alone. Isn't that how it always was in the end? She died alone facing the Master and then she died alone jumping from the platform. Her instincts told her that tonight she would die alone again. It was her fate, her destiny.

As she rounded the corner, she could feel the vast presence of the Master before her. This was his chamber and she would face him alone and save the world. She had no doubt now that her death was near, but at least it would not be in vain. Taking a deep breath, she raised her crossbow and stepped into the chamber, looking for all the world like the true warrior she was.

* * *

"What the…?" Spike asked, trailing off as he looked around.

"It is your turn to face your judgment, Spike."

"Drusilla?" He asked, squinting his eyes as he tried to discern her location.

"It is me, my love," she cooed as she stepped into the circle of light.

He watched as her eyes fell on him, looking him over appreciatively. It made him nervous and somewhat nauseous.

"My darling, you've come back to me!" She hurried over to where he was standing and embraced him lovingly. "I've missed you so much, my dearest. But you've been very naughty. You let that wicked Slayer kill our sister."

"Dru…"

"Shhhh, my dear," she stated, brining her finger to his lips. "You almost smell like my Spike." Stepping back with a twinkle in her eyes, she whispered to him. "You even look like my dark prince again."

He didn't know what to say to her. How could he possibly explain that he was no longer the man she sought? Before he could respond, she continued to chatter on, drawing him to her.

"The stars are singing, my Spike. Can you hear them?" She asked looking up at the sky and swaying her hips to music that was heard only by her. "They sing for us to be together again. We will be together again, won't we my dearest Spike?" She pulled him into an embrace, rubbing her nose against his cheek and then playfully biting his earlobe. 

He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. It was intoxicating, familiar, bringing back over a century of memories that they shared. He had loved her like he had loved no other, intensely and without concern for himself.

* * *

"Welcome, my dear," the Master called to her as he sat on his makeshift throne. "I've been expecting you."

"Well I'm here now," she stated with a smirk, sauntering deeper into the chamber. "So can we just get on with this, please?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Children are so impatient these days. Don't you want to stay and play a while?"

She snorted. "Not really. I'd rather we just got down to the killing, you know, me killing you."

His eyes narrowed but he never lost his smile. "I've been looking forward to this day ever since Wolfram and Hart resurrected me. I knew that you were meant to be mine from the first time I laid eyes on you."

"Uh, newsflash for ya, tall, pale and ugly," she snarked. "I'm taken. In a serious relationship so I'm thinking I'm not too high up on the availability list. In fact, you may have heard of him." She paused for effect. "William the Bloody… Also known as Spike?"

The Master laughed. "He is no match for me, I'm afraid, especially in his current condition…human."

"Is that so?" She asked as she stalked her prey, never faltering or showing the fear that she knew must be rolling off her. They didn't know that Spike had powers, powers that even she didn't understand. That was a plus for the good column she thought.

"My dear…why would you want a boy when you can have a man and eternal life?"

"I really don't want what you're offering, so give it up already and let's just fight."

He sighed theatrically as he stood up. "Oh, very well then. This won't take long."

"You're right," she replied as she aimed her crossbow at him. "This won't take long at all."

"I think you may want to put that down," he said soothingly, lowering his arm as he spoke. He watched as she did what she was told.

* * *

"You still love me, I can feel it," Drusilla cooed to him. "It radiates off you, even now while your Slayer faces her death."

He stiffened, coming to his senses at the mention of Buffy. "Dru," he growled, grabbing both of her arms and shaking her violently. "I am not your Spike any longer." He stopped shaking her when she started laughing at him. "Do you hear me?"

"I hear you my darling Spike. You may not be mine now, but you could be again, if you just let me help you. Let me help you, Spike."

"Help me? What could I possibly want your help with?"

"Coming back to us. Let me help you come back to the Order, Spike. Let me make it all right as rain again."

"I have no idea what you're yammering on about, Dru, but I am not going anywhere."

"Grandpa-pa said that you would join us again and that I could be the one to help you." She turned her head to the side and let her vampiric features come to the fore as she stepped closer to him again. "It'll be just like it was before," she whispered as she ran her tongue down his neck, pausing just over the artery which was pulsating with the life of warm blood.

* * *

Buffy shook her head, trying to clear her mind, which was quickly becoming foggy. Looking down at the hand that held her weapon, she realized she had lowered it and had no memory of doing so. The Master had done this to her the first time, put her in a thrall. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and called upon her slayer strength to help her through this. "I won't be that easy the second time around you nitwit."

Stunned that she had spoken, he took a menacing step towards her and growled. "You will be mine!"

"Ya know, you're starting to sound like a broken record…at least that's what my mom would say. I'm not all that sure exactly what a record is since they were kinda phased out before I was old enough to understand the saying, but being broken and all, I'm thinking it's definitely not of the good."

"You stupid little girl. Silence!" He studied her intently, watching for any sign that his hypnotism was working its magic on her. After several moments of complete quiet, he was convinced that he had prevailed. Stalking towards her, he reached out and stroked her cheek when he neared her. "See, isn't this better? You're so much more attractive when you're quiet."

Looking up at him through half closed lids, she smiled evilly. "You think I'm attractive when I'm quiet? I'm flattered. I wonder if you'll feel the same way while I'm screaming." She suddenly smirked and then let loose with a long, high-pitched scream.

* * *

Spike felt Drusilla nuzzle his neck as he closed his eyes, taking in her familiar scent and having it overwhelm him once again. Suddenly, in his mind, he heard Buffy scream. "Buffy?" He asked, his eyes snapping open. Violently he shoved Drusilla to the ground. "Buffy where are you?" He screamed as Drusilla began to whine and yell shrilly at him.

_(By the crimson and the gold…by basilisk and bloodstone…)_

"You are coming back to me, Spike! The pixies told me!"

"Damn your pixies, Dru!" He growled as he began to stalk towards the edges of the circle.

"I won't let you leave me! You're mine!"

"I'm not your bleeding boyfriend anymore, Dru. Get used to it!"

"Don't make me kill you!"

"You couldn't kill me even if you tried, pet. I'm not that same sniveling poet I was all those years ago when you found me. I'm more than that and I'm loved."

"She'll never love you like I loved you, Spike. Never."

"And tell me exactly how that's a bad thing? It's not like you and I were exactly Mr. and Mrs. Cleaver, pet."

"You're not going anywhere, Spike," she growled, gathering herself up as she stood. "You'll have to kill me in order to save her. Besides," she said smiling wickedly. "I think Grandpa-pa has taken care of the nasty Slayer all by himself. I knew he would."

Something inside of Spike snapped as he heard those words. Suddenly he was running at her yelling gutturally, sword raised above his head. He intended to decapitate her and end both their misery but that's when he heard Buffy's voice. _I love you, Spike. Forever. _ "No!" He screamed as he stopped short, the edge of the sword drawing blood from Drusilla's neck. "I will not do it, Dru. I will not kill you."

"Then you will die," she spat at him.

* * *

Buffy stopped screaming and smiled as the Master placed his hands over his sensitive ears. Knowing that vampires were graced with sensitive hearing, she figured she could use that to her advantage. Getting him close enough to scream her head off had been almost too easy. She hoped that it would knock him off guard enough that she could gain the upper hand. It seemed to have worked. Quickly, she aimed her weapon and pulled the trigger, the arrow flew straight and true, finding its mark. However, nothing happened.

_(By dragon's blood and salamanders…by horses when their hooves strike sparks…)_

The Master laughed at her while he pulled the wooden projectile out of his chest. "Doesn't your watcher teach you anything, you foolish child? The Last Judgment has arrived. I am invincible. Nothing can stop me now."

"Nothing? I highly doubt that. I'll just have to take you out another way." She threw down her crossbow and raised her fists; all she had to do was distract him long enough for the others to do the spell. That is, if they were still alive. The screaming should have alerted Spike, so she figured he would be there any minute now to help her fight the beast before her.

"You think that your friends will help you, don't you? The ones that were out in the woods trying to conjure up a spell to defeat me? Well, I think it's safe to say that they are probably long dead by now. I sent my two best men to take care of them. And as for your Spike, I'm sure that my darling Drusilla has brought him back to the order already. She's really quite…convincing, as I'm sure you know."

She began to shake with rage. "Spike will never allow her to turn him again. Never. So just get that thought right out of your head!"

"You don't sound so convinced now, do you? Now that you know you're all alone. Just you and me. Nothing to stand in my way of finishing what I started six years ago. When I drink from you this time, I will savor it and it will make me stronger than ever before!" He reached out and grabbed her hair, pulling her to him.

He was so close to her now that she could smell his breath. She struggled, trying to beat at him with her fists but finding that nothing was helping. Thrashing as he moved around behind her, she desperately tried to bring her knee up to his groin, but failed. Suddenly, she felt his breath on her neck as he tilted her head to the side and gently, but firmly, snaked an arm around her middle. She screamed again as his fangs pierced her skin.

_Death is your gift…_

* * *

_(We cut the cords and unlock the chains…we sever all the ties by which they were bound and with impenetrable walls our voices surround…) _

Spike's eyes began to glow fiercely, causing Dru to gasp. Drawing from his inner strength, he stood tall and his voice bellowed. "I'm not going to die and I won't kill you."

He pushed the sword deeper into her skin, driving her hard enough so that she stumbled and fell to the ground. "Get out of here. Now."

Her features receded and were replaced by her human face. She cowered at the anger and determination that she heard in his voice; it wasn't a tone that he had ever used with her before and it was frightening.

"Get up and get out of here, Dru. _Now_!"

She scrambled to her feet, whining incessantly. "We will meet again…"

"It better not be in this lifetime, pet, because I _will_ kill you if I ever lay eyes on you again. Stay away from me and stay away from Buffy. If you even so much as set a foot back in Sunnydale, I won't think twice about letting her stake you. Now get out of my sight!" He roared at her, unleashing a century of pent up anger along with a power that was now coursing through his veins.

As she ran off into the shadows, the circle of torches faded, leaving him standing in the empty chamber once again. That's when he heard the scream, Buffy's scream, echoing off the walls. He picked up his sword and began to run blindly into the darkness, praying that he wasn't too late.

* * *

Spike ran faster than he had ever run, both in his life and unlife. Within seconds he was in the Master's chamber, just in time to witness Buffy's body slump against the Master's. Fury and rage erupted inside of him as he rushed towards the demon whose blood had once pumped through his veins. He was unaware that he was screaming incoherently, but it didn't matter, nothing else mattered but getting to Buffy.

The Master looked up as his one time childe rushed into the chamber, but instead of seeing eyes the color of azure; he saw eyes that glowed with the brightest of blinding white light. He could sense the power that now engulfed Spike and he feared it. Quickly he threw the Slayer to the side where she landed in a heap; face down in a pool of water.

"Nothing can stop me!" The Master roared at Spike. "It is too late, the Last Judgment has arrived and your Slayer is gone!"

Spike stood in front of the being, all fear having left him the moment he saw Buffy die. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, mate! It's too late for you."

"You bore me, human. I will wrap my hand around your throat, crush you and then I will drink from your dead body."

"Really? I figure it for the other way around."

"You are too late, William the Bloody. The sun will come up in a few hours and I will rule the world. Darkness will descend and chaos will engulf the living. Humans will become my slaves as well as my minions. They will beg for me to kill them, to turn them, but I will refuse. Join me, Spike. Join me and sit at my right hand. Rule with me."

Spike bellowed as he raised his sword, swinging it at the Master's neck, waiting for the satisfying thump, but none came. Instead, his sword splintered in his hand.

This only infuriated the Master. In response, he punched Spike in the stomach, full force. "Join me or die!"

_(Against thy power and its source. Against thy evil and its force. Osiris, Isis, Horus and Thoth we beseech thee and call upon the powers of the Twelve to defeat our enemy!)_

Suddenly, Spike's eyes snapped open and he flew to his feet. Instead of white light streaming from them, they turned blood red. When he spoke, it was with the voice of all those who had faced their Judgments before him. "Your time has come to an end, Heinrich Joseph Nest." As Spike spoke these last words, he floated off his feet, his arms outstretched, as if hanging on a cross. "Return to hell!"

As the Master looked on in horror, helpless against the powers that were called upon to defeat him, fire shot out of Spike's mouth, burning him wherever it touched. "No!" He screamed before he burst into flame and turned to dust.


	41. Epilogue In the End

_**Author:** PSUbrat  
**Rating:** PG-13 Some language and violence  
**Disclaimer and spoiler warning:** These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them toI'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is part three of a trilogy and is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.  
**Update List:** http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic_  
_**Summary:** The Last Judgment begins, hurtling Spike and Buffy towards their ultimate destiny...  
**Timeframe:** Immediately following "Impending Destiny"___

- Epilogue -  
In the End...

Spike slumped to the floor of the cave, spent. His body was wracked with spasms as the power of the Twelve receded, leaving only human Spike behind. He pulled himself up to his knees and steadied himself with his hands. He felt like he had gone about fifteen rounds with the heavyweight champion, or at least Angelus when he was in perfect form. Painfully, he lifted his head, searching the chamber for her, his Buffy.

When his eyes found her, he tried to push himself off the ground but stumbled forward on shaky legs. "Buffy," he muttered to himself. "Please don't leave me. Please." 

Unable to walk to her body, he crawled the rest of the way there, pausing only briefly to empty the contents of his stomach. When he reached her side, he pulled her out of the water and turned her over. Her lips were blue. There was no pulse. He had no idea how long it had taken to get to her or how long his fight with the Master had lasted, all he did know was that she looked dead.

As quickly as he could, he tilted her neck and checked for any signs of breath. None. Instinctively, he began CPR, not realizing that he was doing it. He felt as if some force was controlling him.

After what seemed like minutes, he heard her gasp and then start coughing.

_Life is your gift_

"Buffy?" He cried. "Luv, are you with me?"

"Spike," she whispered weakly. "I'm so cold."

Hurriedly, he removed his duster and wrapped her frail form in it, trying to warm her cold body. "Buffy" he sobbed into her hair. "You left me."

"But I'm back now," she replied, forcing a smile and reaching up to touch his face. "And I promise that I'll never leave you again."

He held her tight and cried, rocking her back and forth in his arms. "I love you so much, Buffy."

Before Buffy could reply with her own declaration of love, a blinding light flashed through the chamber. When it diminished, ten people dressed in white tunics looked around frantically, unsure of their surroundings.

Giles was the first to notice where they were, as well as the first to see Buffy and Spike on the ground in front of them. "Buffy!" He cried out as he rushed to her side. "You're safe! You did it! You defeated the Master."

"Spike defeated him," she replied with pride in her voice, her strength beginning to return to her. "And you're all alive!"

Once the shock of being transported, yet again, wore off, the others joined Giles at Buffy's side, each taking a turn hugging the couple and crying softly.

Spike and Giles helped Buffy to her feet so that she could embrace her sister. Both girls wept with relief.

Slowly, the twelve made their way out of the cave and into the dawning light. Eight others who had been waiting in the woods, hoping beyond hope that their spell had worked, rushed to greet them.

As Buffy entered the shadows of the trees, she entwined hands with her lover, the man who had saved her life, and took a moment to look at the sunrise through the shadows. It wasn't the most spectacular of sunrises, as sunrises go, but this morning it took on a whole new meaning.


End file.
